Uncommon Threads

Journal Workshop

2011-11-21T15:52:00.001-08:00

Gayle's Tri-fold journal

Anyone who knows me also knows how much I love journals. I have been making and keeping journals for most of my adult life. I love this compact tri-fold journal, because it's so beautiful, and is small enough to bring anywhere.

I had a fun group of women this past weekend in my Tri-fold Journal workshop. They did meticulous work, and we all had a lot of fun, chatting away while we worked.

Stitching the journal covers together

Arrange and affix the finishing squares for the edges

Bind the paper signatures in place

and voila! a beautiful journal

Thanks, guys. Had a really fun time with you guys!

Upcycling with Paint: New Fabric

2011-09-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I was experimenting with various paints from my stash to re-do some fabric that was slightly faded.
The fabric is a stretch cotton, so it took the paint a bit differently than, say, silk or plain cotton.

Since I want to use the remaining skirt and spaghetti strap ties that I cut off this dress, I upcycled the fabric with a watercolor effect. I dampened the fabric in my washer, then placed one of my painting boards underneath the circle of the skirt. Then, I simply painted away, adding my Jacquard Dyna-Flow blue paint directly from the jar to the black areas, which darkened them up nicely, and wetting my brush a bit to spread the paint in the formerly white areas. I love how it came out, and can't wait to create an upcycled piece with it!

A final note: Mary Helen, I have been trying for days to leave a reply to your comment, and have been unsuccessful. Blogger must be having some issues if I can't even comment on my own blog! Anyway, thanks for taking the time to have a look.

Discharge and Painting Experiments

2011-09-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Discharge complete, here is the wet shirt.

Earlier this week, I posted a picture of a t-shirt tied and ready for discharge. I mentioned in one of my comments on that post how fun it is to discharge fabric and purchased shirts, because you never know that color they will become once the discharge is complete.

In the photo to the left, you can see the shirt that has been discharged, soaked in vinegar and untied, still wet, sitting on my bucket in the utility sink.

I immediately washed the shirt, then dried it. Here's how it came out. The navy blue design is where my tied string left the original color. The rest of the discharged shirt turned a lovely shade of brown. Love it!

I have posted two pix here of a turquoise t-shirt I had previously discharged, but using only a bleach pen. You can immediately see the difference. In the turquoise shirt, more of the original color remains. That's because I was able to apply the discharge with a bleach pen only on the tied areas of the shirt. Because the shirt was not soaked in discharge solution, only the area where the bleach was applied was discharged.

The navy shirt I began with turned a lovely shade of brown.

Finally, I have added a picture of today's experiment: fabric paint. I received a package this week, a box of items sent to me to use in my Magic Baby Designs upcycled line. This cute black and white dress was in the box, but is a bit too faded to use as is. The stretch cotton fabric is in still in good condition, however, without pilling or damage other than fading, so I decided to paint it. I did the test on the upper bodice area, which I will not be reusing. I could, of course, overdye the entire garment, but as I said previously, I don't typically have a lot of dyes on hand. I do, however, have a large supply of various types of paints.

The reds and pinks you see on the left are several types of airbrush inks. Although I like how they look on the white portions, I did not, however, like how the paints looked on the black areas, which is where the problem was, after all. I needed something that would cover the black, darken it, and add color to the white. On the left, you see three different blues painted on. The two on the farthest left were also two different types of airbrush ink, one opaque, and one not. Again, they affected the black areas in an undesirable way. The deeper blue on the far right worked perfectly. I used an azure blue Jacquard Dyna-Flow paint, and it did the trick. I painted it onto dry fabric, but will evenly wet the fabric in the washer, spin it, and paint it damp when I finish the painting. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Ready to Discharge

2011-09-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a minute, and took a shirt I had been planning to play with and tied it up. I don't keep on hand a lot of dyeing materials, so I tend to prefer discharge techniques. This shirt is ready to go! I accordian pleated it side to side, then tied it tightly with string. Next stop: the bleach bucket!

Easy bleach dip discharge recipe:
There are many ways nowadays to discharge, but this method is easy, inexpensive, and utilizes what I always have on hand.

1) In your laundry area, prepare two large buckets or trays (such as the ones used for kitty litter); use a try if you want to lay your fabric flat. Your buckets or trays should be used for this purpose only, for safety reasons. You will also need an old wooden spoon and an old pair of tongs.
2) In one bucket: 1 part household bleach to 4 parts water. Use as much water as you will need to cover your fabric, then stir the bleach in carefully. I use an old wooden spoon for stirring, and do not use it for any other purpose.
3) In the other bucket: 1 part vinegar to 1 part water; your fabric will be wet when it goes in here, so you won't need as much water as you used for the first bucket.

Ready? You can wet your fabric before (or after) tying it for discharge, or you can use it dry for a slightly crisper result. When you are ready to go, place your fabric in the bleach solution and press it down into the bucket or tray with your old wooden spoon. Let the bleach work for maybe two
minutes. It doesn't take long. I then pour the whole concoction down the utility drain flushing with hot water. Avoid splashes.

Using the tongs, immediately place the rinsed fabric and place it in the second (vinegar) bucket. Soak for 5 or 10 minutes, then wash thoroughly.

You can also use bleach in a spray bottle, which you can mist directly onto your tied fabric, or around stencils placed on flat fabric. Use 1 part bleach to 1 part water for bottle spraying, and work outside to avoid breathing the spray mist, and to avoid spraying bleach all over the place. Rinse the same way to finish.

I'll post a picture later, when I have finished. Talk to you then!

Art Strikes a Pose Exhibition Opening & Retail Show

2011-09-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

When: Friday, September 9, 6 - 8 p.m.
Where: Valley Art Center, Bell Street, Chagrin Falls, OH
One night only, at the opening of the wearable art exhibition, Art Strikes a Pose
I have several pieces in this exhibition, which opens tomorrow night and is on display until October 13.

Tomorrow night, at the open, all of the exhibiting artists will be participating in a retail vendor's mall.
This is Magic Baby's first retail show. Hope to see you there!

If you can't make it, please visit my etsy shop for my Magic Baby Designs and my artwork.

Preparing for a Show

2011-08-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Next week, I am dropping off some work for a wearable art exhibition, Art Strikes a Post, at Valley Art Center in Chagrin Falls. In addition to the Magic Baby Design clothing I will be exhibiting, I have been working on a few other things. Since I remembered to take pictures of this upcycled denim jacket as I went along, I'll show you the stages of development in the piece I am called Rules for Happiness jacket. Enjoy!

I started with a denim jacket with a strange cut: a cropped body shape and elbow length sleeves.
Next, I added my Rules all over the jacket using textile ink and stamps.

I added appliques and buttons, but to make the shape of the jacket really work, I added lined sleeves with roll up cuffs and a lush, purple velvet skirt. Now the proportions are just right.

I used the same fabric accent for the center back as I used for the outer sleeve additions. Think Outside the Lines, embroidered on netting, finishes off the back.

Spirit of Summer's End

2011-07-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

Turtle Spirit by Gayle Pritchard
A Commissioned Quilt for a Wedding

Today is my sister's birthday, which means August is right around the corner, which means, in my mind, that summer's end is beginning. Have you noticed that the days are becoming gradually shorter, that the flowers in bloom have changed, that the gardening season is slowly winding down? For me, this is the spirit of summer's end.

As summer winds down, the still-flickering childhood memories of relishing the remaining month of summer, and of preparing for going back to school in the fall remain impressed in my psyche. While I strive to live "in the moment" each day, the busyness of fall looms, as the events and deadlines on my ever-present calendar remind me to get ready.

I am working on a new piece, a companion piece to the one shown here, Turtle Spirit. The artwork at left was commissioned for a couple's wedding, and I have always loved it. The companion piece will be larger, but still focused on the turtle in the central panel.

Turtle, a native american animal symbol

is the central focus of the piece.

In Native American symbolism, which is where this turtle symbol comes from, turtle is sacred, and contains fetish properties. Among other things, turtle is a symbol for fertility, truth, and long life. It seemed the perfect wish for a couple entering into a marriage.

Meanwhile, I have been invited to create some new work for a wearable art exhibition at the Valley Art Center. Art Strikes a Pose opens September 10 and runs through October 13, 2011.

Turtle Spirit II by Gayle Pritchard, in progress:

Thinking about Color

2011-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hydrangea and daylilies, side by side in the garden

This time of year here on the North Coast, as we fondly call our lakefront city, the garden is usually dry, and the grass is beginning to brown. This year, though, we have had so much rain, that the garden looks lush. This creates an all the more beautiful background for the flowers that are in bloom this time of year. I adore each season of blooms in our short flowering season, but love this blue and orange combo in my garden.

Seeing this color combination in nature reminded me how much I love complementary colors together. I have never shied away from using them in my artwork. Since I am in the process of shifting between computers, though, I am having trouble finding pictures of all the examples I wanted to share with you. The following are just a few that happen to be on my computer. What colors inspire you?

Joie de Vivre I: love these happy colors

Bye Bye, Daddy, detail bottom: a rubbing from a statue in Mexico in blue and yellow

Shrine to (mid)Life in blue and orange

Gayle's paper bag journal in blue, orange and yellow

Another of Gayle's Shrine to (mid)Life series, called My Hands Don't Look the Same Anymore

Discoveries

2011-06-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

With Ann Rebele in front of her piece at Quilt National

It's been more than a week since I returned from Quilt National's opening weekend in Athens. As always, it was fun to see old friends, and meet some artists whose work I know, but whom I had never never met in person. Over the years serving as curator for the Firelands Association for the Visual Art's The Artist as Quiltmaker, I had the chance to see so much beautiful artwork, and to correspond with hundreds of artists. I made new friends over the years at the openings, such as meeting Terry Jarrard Dimond, Ann Rebele, Nancy Condon, or Denise Mucci Furnish, among many others. I had yet to meet Wen Redmond, however, and have followed her work through the years. At Quilt National this year, Wen's piece was a show-stopper, so I was especially pleased to finally meet her.

Gillian greeted us like queens

We arrived, and were met by our hostess with a spread fit for queens, homemade scones and tea. We had the strawberry-rhubarb pie I had brought along for breakfast on Saturday morning, then headed over to the Quilt National artist's preview and gallery talk.

Nancy Condon with her Quilt National piece in the background

We met our hosts for lunch on Saturday, then went to see Quiltzilla, a fun store front at the mall promoting art in public places. We met up there with our tArts (a Cleveland area textile group) friend Christy, who was in town for the weekend.

tArt friends Po and Razzy in front of the Quiltzilla dinosaur

On the way home Sunday morning, we stopped in Lancaster to visit Michael Mrowka and Debra Lunn at Lunn Fabrics. Although they were packing for return to the Kaufman fabric offices in Indonesia, there was still plenty of unbelievably beautiful fabric out on the shelves. They had also recently redone their floors using their fabrics. Wow, what a creative solution!

Michael shows off the new floors at Lunn Fabrics

A Weekend with Friends

2011-05-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

Susan and Gayle at Quilt National a few years back

Just a quick hello to you, as I close up my suitcase to head south. I am going to Quilt National this weekend with my old, dear friend Susan Shie. I am really looking forward to the drive time, as she always has a lot of great stories to tell.

Have a happy holiday weekend, and I hope your weather is nice!

My book on display in the Athens book store downtown for the Quilt National opening weekend, where I was speaking.
Andi Stern's artwork is in the background.

My Week; What Was Yours Like?

2011-05-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

This snapshot says it all: my week was a busy one, and I am still not finished yet.

In addition to working on two custom orders from my etsy shop this week, I presented a lecture and book signing in Medina, drove another hour and a half to pick up artwork from an exhibition that was ending, did grocery shopping, and weeded in the garden while the world was supposed to be ending. I created two new workshops to offer in the fall, took pictures to email to the venue, wrote class descriptions for the newsletter, and prepared student supply lists.

What I have not done yet is clean up my living room, the repository for this week's activity, where I came in the front door, turned right, and left a pile to be put away later. You can see my artwork stacked up, leaning and lying on the coffee table. On the couch is an antique quilt I sold on ebay, that needs to be packaged and shipped tomorrow. Books from the book signing lie stacked, ready to be boxed up again for my lecture in June at the Akron Art Museum. On the floor is one of my archival quilt storage boxes loaded with quilts brought to my lecture, and covered on top with one of my art quilts just removed from the exhibit.

Since most of these artworks need to be re-photographed for digital format, I have told myself I will photograph them, then put them away. Let's see if they're still there next weekend! Oh, and I will be out of town next weekend. Heading to Quilt National in Athens. Hope to run into some of you there.

Wearables for Spring

2011-05-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

I finished this jacket recently for a client, so thought I would show it to you. It is custom made completely: she picked the design, shape, sleeve length, and the colors she wanted from a selection of fabrics. I did the rest, and it came out beautifully.

The jacket is assembled in my personal collage style. I create my art quilts, Magic Baby clothing and wearables for adults in the same way: put bits and pieces of this and that together to create a quirky, fun and beautiful finished design. Hope you like it!

Detail of closures, jacket front

Jacket back in beautiful batik

Next up: a busy week ahead. I am giving a lecture and book signing for my book Thursday evening at the Medina Public Library. On Friday, I need to pick up my work from the exhibition Piecing it All Together: The Art of Collage. That means also either rehanging it or preparing it for storage once I get it home. I really need to schedule an appointment for professional photography of the pieces I finished for the show at the last minute, too!

Speaking of exhibitions, my friend Terry Jarrard Dimond is participating in an art quilt exhibition at BookSmart Studios. I received her invitation this week. I also received the Call to Entry information for The Artist as Quiltmaker XV from the new curator, Ruta Marino. The entry deadline has been pushed back from September to January 23, 2012, so get busy with your entries now.

Mother's Day Update

2011-05-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Howdy stranger! I have been absent a bit this past week or so, as I have been heads-down working, and trying to balance paperwork, computer time and actual studio time.

Oh, yeah, and Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there who are mothers. We had a nice, quiet day here. The sun even came out, so I was pleased.

Rearranging closets recently, I came across this handsewn silk jacket that belonged to my mother. She has been gone twenty years this year; hardly seems possible. Anyway, she had given this to me many moons ago, and I have tried to care for it to preserve it. It is absolutely gorgeous in its construction and detail, especially the hand quilting and the hand made trim.

My own Mother's Day and upcoming birthday are made special by my sweet daughter helping me to set up a website and separate blog for Magic Baby Designs. I am so excited, and I hope you will also check it out when you get a chance. The website isn't 'live' yet, but the blog is begun. More to come!

Itching for Hand Stitching

2011-04-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have a spring jacket that I hardly ever wear. I bought it when I went to visit my daughter in Galway several springs ago back, knowing how misty-moisty damp the weather in Ireland can be. After stubbornly putting away my winter jacket while hoping spring would actually arrive here on the North Coast, I had to pull it out today to keep the still chilly weather at bay.

When the silhouettes of the trees on the horizon begin turning that beautiful shade of lime green, I know spring here is around the corner, and my mind automatically starts making lists of things to do: rake the leaves away from the emerging spring bulbs, gather up dead tree branches, wash the kitchen floor.

Gayle's stitched collage, Changes
In my Magic Baby work studio, I am slowly sewing up the piles of designs I tend to cut out at night while watching the news or a movie with my husband. Once I have finished a design idea and my prototype, I sit and cut and cut and cut at night, and end up with large piles of sewing to await me each morning when I start to work.

Detail, Changes by Gayle Pritchard
I have decided to stop cutting out new garments to sew until I get my piles of unsewn ones under control. I get stir crazy, though, if I don't have something creative to do while I am sitting. Spring's imminent arrival has made me itchy to have some handwork to do.

At I seminar on creativity and work productivity, I made a note of the speaker's comment, paraphrased here. She said, when you want to begin new work, and have nothing in particular in mind, go look at your body of work and be inspired by that. I have always remembered that. I am rarely short on ideas, but frankly, at the end of a long work day in my self-created sweat shop, I am tired. I still want something creative to do with my hands, but I also want to relax. Handwork, for me, has always fulfilled that desire. With a composition already created and put together during my peak thinking hours, at night, I can just sit and stitch. Rhythm, pull the thread, put in the needle, repeat. It's wonderful.

The framed collage here hangs in my living room. I have always loved it, refreshed by its quiet colors and serene symmetry. I love the raw edges of the antique linen and other fabrics used for the collage, and I love the stitching marks that lead my eye around the piece, and back to the slightly obscured drawing I transferred as the focal point. This will be my inspiration for some light night stitching.

Happy spring, Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it, and may peace find you in the wee hours of the night.

2011-04-20T06:35:00.001-07:00

The months seem to be flying by already this year. The calendar says it's late April already, and yet, as I look outside today, the trees on the horizon have not yet achieved their lime green spring glow. The weather is cold and rainy. Only the daffodils know it is spring.

Detail of I Hear Voices In My Head by Gayle Pritchard

I have been accomplishing a lot in the studio as of late, and at least spring activity, bringing me out and about, is heating up.
I had a great time when I made my presentation to the East Cuyahoga Genealogical Society last month. Tomorrow night, I will be presenting a lecture and book signing for the Willoughby Hills Quilt Guild. On May 19th, I will be in Medina for a lecture at the public library, and June 23 at the Akron Art Museum. I am so pleased that interest in my book continues, and love having the opportunity to speak with large groups about the amazing treasure trove of fiber art that exists in Ohio.

The struggle of balancing paper work and household responsibilities with studio time continues. Luckily, I still have the energy to work 14 hour days! Have a great week, and hope to see some of you at my upcoming lectures.

The Art of Collage Opening, Part Deux

2011-04-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post the rest of the pix I have from opening night of Piecing It All Together: The Art of Collage. As at most openings, pictures standing in front your own artwork is a prerequisite : ) As I mentioned previously, there were a lot of artists represented in the exhibit, and a lot of great work. Hope you enjoy seeing a few more pieces here.

Me, standing in front of one of my larger pieces, Beauty Queen. On the wall to my left are works from Opie and Linda O'Brien, one called Sorry, and, above that, Unlock the Magic.

Two black and white collages by Jeff Kallet, being studied. These were very interesting, and almost assemblage in their dimension.

I love the stitched details in Shirley Ende Saxe's work.

More typical of Gail's work historically, here is This is What a Feminist Looks Like

These two collages, Her Cocoon, by Shirley Ende-Saxe, and Aujourd by Jeff Kallet, complement each other perfectly, and are both warrant study.

Hope you enjoyed your vicarious visit to the exhibition. Now, get back to work : )

2011-04-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

I am honored to be presenting a program about the long and illustrious history of Ohio quilts this evening. Hope to see you there : )

Art of Collage Exhibit Opening: Crowded and Fun

2011-04-02T09:07:00.001-07:00

Piecing it All Together: The Art of Collage exhibition opening was last night, and it felt like old home week for me. It always fun to see old friends, but even more fun to be in an exhibition together. If you are an artist, you know how isolating it can be to stay in your studio all the time, working. Heading out to see an art show gets you out of your own head, and exposes you to new work being created, alone, by other artists who have been in their studios. Very invigorating!

It was serendipity that this photo could catch the four of us standing in a spot where all of our work happened to be hung side by side. Gail Crum, Gayle Pritchard, Linda and Opie O'Brien, all old friends.

As often happens at openings, I never get a chance to spend a lot of time talking with everyone I want to chat with. This opening was crowded, always a good sign, and several artworks sold right away. I am posting lots of pictures from the show, but didn't get a chance to talk to all of the makers. I hope you will enjoy your vicarious visit anyway.

Nitro by Jeff Kallet, left and French Rope Dancers by Linda and Opie O'Brien, right

The Coronation of the Infant Antonym by Shirley Ende-Saxe

Bridget and her staff did an amazing job hanging the show, and displaying the various forms of artwork. Here, her daughters served as docents for my collage book, For Sadie Jane. Both daughters took turns, and seemed to delight in turning the pages for visitors to the opening.

I love the fact that, regardless of whether or not they ever become artists, these two young women will always love and appreciate art, thanks to their life-long exposure to art and art-makers. Hurrah!

Pieces by Jeff Kallet, Opie and Linda and Gail Crum looked great hung together. Sorry my flash blew out the beauty of Bliss, the piece top center.

Here are the two collages I wrote about finishing the past few weeks here on my blog. I loved how they looked hung with Martha Germano's piece. The butterscotch wall color is an exact match to my dining room color.

That's all for now. I have more pix to post in a few days. If you live in or are soon visiting Northeastern Ohio, stop by the gallery to see the show in person. You won't regret it. Work from all of these terrific artists is included: Clare Murray Adams, Gretchen Bierbaum, Suzette F. Cohen, Gail Crum, Shirley Ende-Saxe, Martha L. Germano, Mel Grunau, Kathleen Harrington, Susan Jacobs, Jeff Kallet, Kim Mettee, Linda and Opie O'Brien, Gayle Pritchard, Joan Rusek and Patricia Schroeder. Each artist has at least half a dozen artworks on display. You are sure to see something you love.

Oh, and thanks for driving me to the show, my sweet husband, for stopping to pick up fellow artist Lois, and for collaborating with me on two of the artworks I displayed. xxoo

The Art of Collage Opening

2011-03-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Piecing it All Together: The Art of Collage opens Friday night, April 1 at the Valley Art Center in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. I will have seven artworks on exhibition. This is a curated, invitational exhibition with several wonderful artists included: Clare Murray Adams, Linda and Opie O'Brien, Jeff Kallet, Gretchen Bierbaum and Gail Crum, among others. Hope you can make it! For those of you long-distance exhibition gawkers, I will post pictures after the opening. I can't wait!

Getting ready for the exhibition, as mentioned in previous posts, inspired me to finish some new work. On the day I delivered my artwork, as I was gathering up and packaging my work, I spied an unfinished work I had begun a few months ago.

My piece on the postcard here, I Hear Voices, was made about my husband, and was inspired by one of his songs. The piece utilizes the song lyrics, and imagery from his childhood. The unfinished work I pulled out last week, and shown below, was a small collage I made after I Hear Voices. It is also about my husband, and uses the song lyric Tell Me Something I Don't Know. Now I just need to complete the assemblage. Here it is still in progress.

This is just a quick snapshot (and not a very good one!), taken to capture my instantaneous idea as I pulled the rest of my art together to deliver to the show. I'm excited to finish it. Step one, always my way of beginning, is to write the story on the background. I will do that while adding paint and drawings, then begin the assembly process. More to come!

Handmadeology Top 10 Vote: I'm nominated, so vote today

2011-03-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to those of you who read my blog, like my work, and have time to vote for me.

My art quilt, Prayers for the Dead, is nominated in the Handmadeology Top 10 list for Art on etsy today. Click the link to vote for me today, and thanks : )

I love this piece; it was a very meaningful one for me in a meaningful series:

Mounting Collages to Stretched Canvas

2011-03-20T07:25:00.001-07:00

In my last post, I showed how I prepped my fiber collages for display, in this case, stitching them onto some beautiful paper. The reason for that step is twofold: first of all, I knew I was going to adhere the paper to a pre-stretched canvas, and I didn't want the acrylic medium to touch the collages directly. Secondly, I wanted the mounting process to be reversible, something I learned from my framer. Sometimes, I stitch the collage directly on the canvas, if the stretcher bars are not in the way. I did that with my collage By the Numbers, shown in progress below:

Gayle Pritchard's By the Numbers, in progress

In the case of By the Numbers, the pre-stretched canvas was larger, although I still had some difficulty stitching and embellishing along the edges.

For my current pieces, I am adhering them to two upcycled pre-stretched canvases that I found in a discount store. I used acrylic gel medium applied directly to the canvas, and stretched and smoothed the paper over the top, as shown in the photos below.

Adding gel medium to an upcycled pre-stretched canvas

Each edge and the back stretcher bar are coated with gel medium, then the paper stretched in place. This works with fabric, too!

I miter the corners as I go, using very sharp scissors.

I trimmed around the existing hanging hardware along the top, then separately wired the piece for hanging after it dried.

All done! Here, I am drying the mounted collage overnight. The rubber bands hold it tight, while the scrap paper inserts protect the edges of the collage and paper from the rubber bands.

I had one other piece to prepare, and now I am ready to wrap and drop off my work at the gallery tomorrow. Hurrah! Piecing it All Together: The Art of Collage opens in Chagrin Falls on April 1st, and will be on display at the Valley Art Center until May 19.

The Art of Collage

2011-03-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the collages I was finishing up. Today I thought I would show you some of the steps involved in preparing for the final presentation of a few of my collages. As serendipity would have it, shortly after my blog post, I received an invitation to exhibit a number of my artworks in Piecing it All Together: The Art of Collage. The show opens on April 1st, so I am pleased to have some brand new pieces to add to the ones the curator selected from my website.

My now beat up travel portfolio, on the far left

Those of you who know me or who have studied with me know that I never go anywhere without a journal or one of my collage travel portfolio. In the little square portfolio shown here, I keep collage papers and the like, but also squares of canvas, matboard and other materials, all the same size. They fit neatly in the back of the portfolio, and provide a ready-made working surface for a small, quick work when I'm on the road.

That is exactly where these new collages came from: the back of my travel portfolio. These are two same-sized pieces of raw canvas which I have built collages on the surface of, beginning with journal writing. That was covered with drawing and image transfers, then layers of sheers fabrics and papers, even metal screening, were added on top. I want to mount them onto pre-stretched canvas, but first I have cut some beautiful unryu paper to stitch them onto.

This wonderful paper has just the right amount of body for stitching.

I love the weight and body of this paper! It provides a great working surface, and here, a nice background. It is also easier to sew through than pre-stretched canvas. Before I stitch the second collage down, I need to remove the edges of the Tear-away on the back of the collage. I am also never without Tear-away. I use it as a background for most everything I do, including wall pieces I am designing. If I am making a quilt, I remove it prior to hand stitching, but for these collages, it provides something to hold on to while stitching.

I am trimming the Tear-Away from the collage on the left, prior to stitching it onto that beautiful blue paper.

So....tonight I will finish stitching the second collage in place. Later in the week, I will show you how I attached it to the canvas.

The Passing of a Legend

2011-03-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

Tom's Quilt by Jean Ray Laury, from 1956

This past week, we lost a quilting pioneer, Jean Ray Laury. I invite you to read Karen Alexander's blog tribute to her life and work. You can see it here: http://thequiltershalloffame.blogspot.com/2011/03/passing-of-jean-ray-laury.html

Although my book is about Ohio's art quilt pioneers, Jean Ray Laury, from California, had to be mentioned. Working in her quirky style as early as the 1950s, she was also an early writer of books and articles, which were few and far between in those days. She will be missed.

Uncommon Threads: Relevant

2011-03-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

My book on display in Athens, Ohio

I was honored to appear on the Diane Rehm show live in Washington, D.C. One sister-in-law came with me, we stayed with another sister-in-law, and I got to visit my half brother right before he passed away.

I was invited to present a lecture on my book last night, one program of half a dozen on my schedule for this spring. When Uncommon Threads: Ohio's Art Quilt Revolution came out five years ago, I never dreamed that there would still be so much interest in the story of the contribution Ohio artists made to the emergence and evolution of the art quilt.

At the local Barnes and Noble bookstore, my tArty artist group friends all came out to support me. The fabulous Susan Shie, part of my tArts group, was one of the artists featured in my book.

re-read my book yesterday in preparation for my lecture, and when I was finished I thought, "I am so glad I wrote this book." If I hadn't written it, I would want to read it. I am so glad I wrote it, so privileged to tell the story of the amazing artists I interviewed, and happy that I put in writing the revolution that occurred right here in Ohio back in the day.

In Cincinnati, after a radio interview, I arrived to a large crowd, and was happy to see some friendly faces in the audience, such as old friends Susan and Dave Voegtly and David Walker, also featured in my book.

I must admit it bothers me that new practioners in my field do not seem familiar with the pioneers in their chosen art medium. I look at the magazines out there today, what still exists in our new media world, and I wonder if many of the young artists featured are aware that what they are doing has already been created? I wonder if they have done their homework, have studied what came before as artists should do?

At the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., I actually got to speak at one of my favorite museums. Of all the lectures I have given, this audience had the best questions.

The famous Malaprops bookstore in Asheville, NC was the last stop on a swing of several book signings from Cleveland to Dayton to Quilt National, the Kennedy Museum and several others. Bonus: I got to visit my daughter, and one of the artists in my book, Jane Reeves.

Back home, a lecture for the Textile Art Alliance, a fabulous organization focused on the fiber arts.

Getting My Head Around it

2011-02-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

Detail of Gayle's collage, Sacred, in progress

Something is going on. The ground is shifting. I see it on the faces of the people on the news stories about the Middle East; I see it in my friends faces; I see it in my face when I look in the mirror. For awhile, I just couldn't get my head around it.

As an artist, I have trained myself for decades to try to stay in the moment and to respond to what is in front of me without knowing where the resolution lies. It is part of trusting the process, a deeply personal way of trusting oneself. The way I tap into that part of myself is to just keep working, because much of the creative process involves problem solving, asking the "what if" question, remaining open to the answer. When I am fortunate enough to be fully engrossed in this process, I continue to work on the problem at hand even when I am sleeping. My journal is full of dreamed notations waiting for action.

This is where I find myself right now: working, thinking, dreaming, working. This process has never failed me, and serves as an anchor for me when the ground beneath my feet is shifting.

Detail of Gayle's collage, Lady Blue

Detail of Gayle's collage, Blue Landscape

I have spent months feeling blue, discombobulated. Fortunately, my trusty journals remind me that this is also a cyclical part of my process. It doesn't keep me from working, usually, and this is fortunate as well. I am designing like crazy, as I focus with renewed energy on my line of Magic Baby designs. I hope to start a separate website and blog for that work as soon as I have some time to sit at the computer all day.

I am also itchy to do free painting, so hope to get to that soon. In the meantime, I am finishing up the three collages shown here. I will be offering all of them for sale in my etsy shop as soon as I finish stitching and mounting them. Stitching away by hand, which is what I do most nights, is my preferred form of meditation. My thoughts are freed up while I work to think and dream, to get my head around it.

Recycled Love

2011-02-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

A page from For Sadie Jane by Gayle Pritchard featuring a
Womankind badge and a heart created from recycled kimono silk.

According to wikipedia, St. Valentine was executed on February 14, ca. the year 270. It would appear this event was an auspicious beginning for celebrations of love, and quite far removed from the pagan holiday we are familiar with today.

In my life, love is a core value, and something we try hard to express and honor. It is an intangible to be experienced, absorbed, shared and recycled.

Two page spread from For Sadie Jane by Gayle Pritchard

I suspect that love, or rather the ability to experience love, and the creative process are deeply entwined. A person who is able to love deeply is a person who is open to staying connected to their inner spark and creativity. If you happen to be one of these people, I encourage you to dig deeply, locate your source and spread it all around you. Maybe tomorrow will be a day when we get to feel the recycled love in the air.

Family Connections

2011-02-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

T. Vickery's Boots and Shoes! I loved this ad the minute I saw it recently. Vickery, you see, is a family name, though I can't think of any T. Vickery's in the group.

You may think it strange for an artist to also be passionate about family history, but for me there is a direct connection. You see, my art is very personal, and is often about my family, my history, or some combination of the two. My piece The Day Momma Died uses physical objects that belonged to my mother to create an artwork, and to commemorate the experience of the day she died at 62.
Prayers for the Dead commemorates three family deaths which took place shortly after my mother's death.
My Joie de Vivre series is a group of three abstracted self portraits that chronicle, for me, a crucial developmental phase in my artwork. A few years ago, I made a piece about my husband using the lyrics of one of his songs.

Gayle with her piece inspired by her husband's song lyrics: I Hear Voices in my Head

Whether I am working on works for the wall or creating mixed media assemblages, my work tends to be autobiographical. It is the way I process my internal thoughts. It is what comes out when I go to that space deep inside where my inspiration lives. What inspires you?

This is an actual advertisement from Derby, England in 1816. The Mr. Pritchard mentioned is my husband's ancestor.

Appreciating Life With Eyes Closed

2011-02-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

Gayle's assemblage in progress

I hurt my eye last weekend, but I have no idea how or when I managed to do it. When I finally went to see my eye doctor, he found the scratch, and told me it could have even been caused by a stray hair blowing in the wind. I guess this might be a downside of having long hair. In any case, once again I was forced to STOP: stop what I am always doing, which is working, and close my eyes; rest. God, I hate that!

Maybe you have a similar personality, and maybe you don't. Years of journaling and self-examination prodded by observations from my loved ones have taught me that I feel best about myself when I am accomplishing my goals. For me, this probably comes out of my childhood, growing up in a large family, and trying to be noticed in a good way. The end result, in my adult years, is that I have a very difficult time shutting down. My active artist's mind races through the day, and thinks all through most nights, as ideas flow into my consciousness and spill over into my dreams. I love that!

This week, I was left unable to actually bring my ideas into fruition, as my hurt eye failed to cooperate. I was left pondering ideas, and thinking of lists of what I wanted to do next. The situation was aided by the fact that two of my young grandbabies were here all week while their parents traveled. There is nothing like caring for babies to make one stop and smell the roses. They are a constant reminder of what is important in these brief lives we live. Stopping the whirlwind of self-absorbed brain activity to sit down on the floor and play, make lunch, read stories and cuddle is a good way to remember that the number of hugs and memories of being loved are a large part of what makes us who we can be.

Yesterday, I was able to get back to work. My week ended on an especially high note in my Be a Pro workshop. I had a great class of eight articulate and ambitious seekers, and the discussions were lively. I felt buoyed, and I hope the participants felt more empowered to find their ways forward as artists and writers.
Later this month, I will be teaching a workshop I call Spirit Boxes, Sacred Vessels and Shrines. We'll be making personally meaningful assemblages from found objects. Hope those of you who live locally can join us. Now...back to my journal lists. Have a great week, all!

Gayle's Reflections of Mexico assemblage

If Only

2011-01-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

Check out the link at left to see more pictures from vintage Aussie mug shots

Ah, if only...if only I could keep my eyes open a little longer. If only I could keep up with everything I need and want to do. Writing my blog is one of them, but I have to admit defeat this week. My days are full, and sometimes, by the end of the day, after a day of expending creative energy, I just can't do any more. Anyway, I thought I would share with you two great links I found today, in case you have time to play around on your computer. I wasn't playing when I found them on etsy; I was working at 11:30 p.m. Enjoy!

Vintage Photos from the Sydney Police Museum

The second fun place to check out is a fashion blog of sorts in which people are photographed in their street clothes on the street: The Satorialist. Have fun!

Creative Play for Kids

2011-01-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

My grandson loves to go on dangerous missions, a tradition begun by my husband with our own kids, and continued now on the days we provide childcare for two of our grandchildren. In winter, a dangerous mission usually involves bundling up with long underwear and riding a sled into either Winter World or Ice World and trying not to get frozen by an ice bomb, battling enemies with icicle lasers, and so on. When the mission is over, coats, gloves, scarves, wet socks and long underwear are thrown into the dryer, the Winter World Warrior is covered with a blanket, and hot chocolate with marshmallows magically appear to warm the chilled bones.

In between trips to the library or the local nature center, my little explorer likes to make up games. This is something we have encouraged since he was a baby. Again, this is something carried forward from raising my own kids: never, ever waste time being bored. In addition to the many games we play all day long, we often make things that can be used to play the games. The ideas occur spontaneously, often the result of a needed character or a "what if we had this" question. My grandson, at six, now knows and often repeats, "We can make anything." We can also fix anything : )

Here are just a few of the things we have made together. My challenge to you: keep making things, and show your children how to make things. This is something kids today do not get enough experience with. Go ahead...it'll be fun!

We made a printing plate from a meat tray to make Valentines.

We printed out black and white character images to color, glued to cardboard and made an action figure.

We drew our own action figures on canvas with oil pastels, stuffed them, and sewed them together to play with.

We made an action figure mask (this is Mr. Incredible) from knit fabric that ties in the back.

It's fun to make your own treats. These are Gumdrop People. Slide the gumdrops onto sucker sticks, or use toothpicks to hold the arms on. Take a picture before eating.

FamJam for the New Year

2011-01-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, my friends, and my wishes for you for a happy, creative and great year. I'm counting on it!

In a family of musicians (which does not include me!), we usually end up with a jam session. Thirty years ago, my husband and brothers-in-law, and occasionally a brother would play into the wee hours. As our kids learned to play, they added to the mix with both fabulous playing and sweet singing. Having recently gained a musician-son-in-law, our jam sessions have gained a new name: FamJam. It is the best way ever to have a good time, and to celebrate being together. Those of us who don't play can sometimes sing, and also play the vital role of appreciative audience.
Here's to 2011, more music, large doses of creativity, and many, many hugs.

Details, details, Part One

2010-12-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

Detail of my Sgt. Pepper-esque
Jacket for Peter B. Lewis

By nature, I am oriented to details. I have found this to be an odd quirk of my otherwise creatively driven personality. Some of my artist friends don't seem to have this side to their personalities, and it only seems to apply to many artists when it comes to their work. For me, I inherently pay attention to the details. It doesn't matter what I am doing. Planning a garden? Learn every name of every plant. Measure the amount of sunlight in every area of the yard at each time of the day. Do this for a week. In each season of the year. Writing a book? Interview every person in the field who was alive at that time. Read every issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine from its inception, (and make detailed notes by subject) so you can have the proper questions prepared for your interview subjects. You get the idea. I'm not what is fondly called these days, "anal"; I'm just thorough, and obsessively so. It's just the way my mind works.

When I am creating a new art piece, after the thrill of creating the actual composition has passed, I love the layered stitching and embellishment part of my process the best.

Recycled tags for my TagTalk cards wait to be taken to my downstairs sewing spot. On the right, a four drawer catcher for fabric scraps takes the overflow from my wire fabric storage. Knits and flannels are at the ready under my pinning wall, while a holiday order waits to be ironed at my mini ironing station.

You can see this on my Masks III, below.

When it comes to construction by stitching, my love of details transfers easily from creating my artwork to my designing my Magic Baby line of clothing. You would never know I am focused on the details, however, by looking at my studio at the moment:

On my sewing table, various "piles" wait their turn.
The embroidered black velvet is up next.

Here, a snowflake swing dress waits for its binding,
while a design experiment sits underneath until
I have more time.

My studio only looks like a mess. Since I have little space, I make piles, then work my way through them each week.

Getting Ready for the Holidays

2010-11-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

I am sure every family has holiday customs; ours is no different. One thing I always do is make pie, so it was a special treat this year to have the chance to make pie with my not-quite-two-year-old granddaughter. She was a natural!

I hope all of you had some time to spend with loved ones this past week. That is, after all, what this season is about for me. Now that Thanksgiving is over, my thoughts are turning to December, to winter, and to Christmas, and I begin my preparations.

I continue to be busy making new Magic Baby clothes for my etsy shop. I am having a special Cyber Monday sale, which I invite you to take advantage of. I have artwork, supplies and, of course, my special baby clothes in my shop. For the sale, take 10% off your purchase by using the Etsy Coupon Code at checkout: CyberMondayGAP10. Happy shopping!

A Life of Thankfulness

2010-11-21T06:36:00.000-08:00

This week the official holiday season begins. With the consumerization of our traditional American family get-together times, I have to mentally take a step back as I am reminded what these times are really about. For me, that means my family.
Since both of my parents died suddenly, nearly twenty years ago now, I have tried to embrace each day with a sense of thankfulness. Their untimely deaths taught me that life is fleeting, and that we can live assuming that there will be a tomorrow. This isn't depressing to me; it's envigorating, a reminder that I need to make "today" count for something.

This week, give it a try: stop wasting time worrying or engaging in activities that do not bring you joy. Focus your thoughts on those you love, and those who love you. Think about each thing you do, each conversation, each moment in the day. We all have choices at our disposal, and that choice may be as simple as reframing our thoughts in a positive way. I'm not suggesting a pollyanish approach to life. We all have real problems we are facing, and struggles to overcome. Still, we can bring love to each day by simply thinking about it. The human brain is miraculous!

So, for me, this week represents a time of focusing my energies on my family. I will be traveling a long distance to be with loved ones, dragging my sewing machine along so that I can fix curtains (a requested act of love.) I will be bringing handmade presents for a two year old granddaughter. I will be making homemade pie as a gesture of love, and joining in the FamJam, our family music time when guitars come out and all voices are welcome.

I wish all of you a week full of love and thankfulness. What will you be doing this week?

Chemo Scarf tutorial

2010-11-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update: Michelle at daydreambelievers.net just sent a note that she shared my blog link on her blog. Michelle has created a wonderful tutorial for creating a chemo scarf, which I followed to create one for a friend's sister who is undergoing cancer treatment. What better way to say "I care"? Thanks for your great instructions, Michelle!
As you will see when you go to Michelle's blog, I created my scarf using vintage kimono silk and a purchased (and very soft) headband. Sorry I didn't have a better picture, but I wanted to get it in the mail : )
This is just one of many ways to send love!!

Playing With Image Transfers

2010-11-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

One of Gayle's collages incorporating image transfers

I taught a class this past week on using image transfers. I have loved playing with transferred images since I first discovered as a kid that the funny pages could be transferred onto silly putty! Back in high school and college art classes, we used lighter fluid on printed magazine pages to release the ink and put it onto another surface. I was hooked by the layering, and have spent the last 35 years exploring that process.

From sunprinting to transfer paper, the possibilities are endless. One technique I hadn't played with for awhile is disperse dye transfer. Disperse dyes, paints and crayons offer opportunities for endless playing and experimentation.

Over the next weeks I hope to show you many of the techniques I have loved over the years. Unfortunately, today, blogger is (once again) not cooperating with me as I try to add new images. Does anyone know what is going on with that?

Anyway, I invite you to stay tuned, ask question, share your own experiments using image transfer. Enjoy!

To create this collage, I drew with oil pastel on matboard, then added cyan prints and heat transfers on top.

Making Buttons: A Tutorial

2010-10-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

In one of my September posts, I promised you a tutorial to show you how I made the matching buttons for the outfit shown there. After over a week of trying to upload the tutorial here without success, I invite you to view Making Buttons: A Tutorial on youtube.

I have added a few new pictures here of outfits I have added handmade buttons to, and will post some more later when blogger decides to cooperate. Please scroll down to see the new pictures, and please leave me a post if you try making these buttons for yourself. Enjoy.

Finally, special thanks to my darling husband for taking the time to film this for me and upload it to youtube. film this. Thanks, baby!

A close up of the challis fabric buttons I made to match my Magic Baby Peaches and Cream top.

The buttons for my Dot Coat are made in matching fleece.

Can you see the matching button on this Lucky Star jacket? This is what I like about making buttons!

Look forward to your comments,
Gayle

A Gift to Cherish

2010-10-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have frequently been the recipient of fiber-related gifts from friends and family members who recognize that the item they need to get rid of is too special to just throw away. I cherish these gifts of vintage fabric, old quilt tops, cotton dresses bought at auction, or the stack of handmade infant dresses a college girlfriend gave to me a few years back.
The gift I received this week, however, is unlike anything I have ever been given. It is beautiful, and I thank you, my friend. I can't wait to create a new Magic Baby design based on this garment.

The attached cape is pulled back here so you can see the body of the front.

I received a note on facebook from a fellow artist and hometown friend to say he had found this amazing infant dress / coat while clearing some things out, and thought I might like it. I had no idea what to expect, but told him I would take good care of it. When the package arrived, I opened it to find this beautiful hand-stitched baby garment. Since I am not exactly sure what to call it, I thought perhaps you, my readers, might have more knowledge than I do. Here are the pictures:

This is the front, which features a two-button closure, beautiful embroidery and an attached capelet.

The capelet and the embroidery are on the back of the garment, too.

Look at this beautiful detail!

I carefully cleaned it, but some delicate staining remains. Everything is hand-stitched. It feels too heavy to be a dress, but it is definitely sized for an infant, as evidenced by the length of the sleeves. Because it is so long, I wonder if it may have been some sort of christening gown? The material is heavy and canvas-like, leading me to suspect it is a heavy muslin or a type of homespun. I look forward to your observations!

X Marks the Spot

2010-10-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Starting a new journal is a wonderful, almost incomparable experience. I posted about journaling most recently a few weeks ago, and promised one of my readers a comment or two about what I described as "consecrating" a journal.

The image to the left shows the first page of a new journal, the Japanese stab-stitch bound journal shown in my previous post. One exercise I teach my students is designed to overcome the fear of "ruining" a new journal, especially a hand-made one. First we discuss all the ways that we can turn off the negative "censor" voices in our heads, the voices that prevent us from reaching our creative core. Then I talk to them about the journey they are about to begin in their new journals. Then, favorite writing tool in hand, I ask each student to select a page in their journal, and make an "x" on the page. "X" marks the point of entry into the pages of this personal, perhaps sacred, journey. Make your mark to begin.

Many of my friends work with journals, often using them to work out their ideas for other artwork they will create. The examples below are from my friends in my artist group, the tArts, artists Susan Shie and Jill Milenski.

This is one of Susan's many journals. This one is for the drawing class she teaches.

Jill sketches everywhere, and often makes paintings from her sketches.

I would love to hear about your journaling experiences. Please reply : )

Inspired by my own Magic Babies

2010-09-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy fall so far. Here is a quick post showing you what I have been up to the past few weeks.

Here is one of my Magic Baby muses with her daddy's guitar. She is wearing her fruity flower dress, one of my early prototypes. Since the knot shoulder closure proved to be difficult in dressing her, I have redesigned the shoulder closure. Still, she looks adorable, don't you think?

According to their mothers, all of my Magic Babies are growing like weeds, and need new clothes. I have gone back to my upcycling ways from thirty years ago, when I was a young mother and had to refashion existing clothes for my children. Here are a few examples that I made for the new crop of babies in the family.

This is a cute swing top with matching pants. I upcycled a sweatshirt for the top, then added some applique and a knit contrast edge. Can't wait to see her wearing it. For the pants, I had some matching stretch baby wale corduroy. Perfect!

For this next three piece outfit, I used part of a stash of clothing my sister recently gave to me. This was made from a sweater skirt and top that had been my mothers over two decades ago. I paired it with a paisley challis, made matching buttons, added some lace, and voila!

The challis was tricky to work with on top of the knit, but I just moved slowly, and it worked. I used the existing sweater neck edge, but sewed it on separately. The challis band extends around the back into cute ties. I talked my husband into filming a tutorial while I made the matching buttons. I'll post a link to that later.

The matching sweater skirt has a soft waistband and a challis and lace edge. I added a pleated skirt from the lightweight challis, which hangs underneath the knit.

For my other little Magic Baby girl, I took an existing onesie and added a double ruffled skirt with the pre-made sheer trim. Then, from the remnants of a purchased fleece blanket, I couldn't resist whipping up the polka dot jumper!

There are many more to show you, but that is enough for now. I will finish with two new designs, not made from something else. The first is a layered skirt made from sheers and tulle. My daughter calls it the "Prom Dress." The last is a custom order I just finished. It is a size 8, and is a version of my Little Frenchy design for toddlers. I call the bigger size the Frenchy Girl.

I just finished a new coat design made with polka dots for winter. I call it the Twirl Coat. More to come!

This Way, Please, Part 2: It's Hell Getting Old

2010-09-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pix from my visit last week to Clare Murray Adams' studio. The day ended with a quick dinner at home before heading out to the gallery at BayArts for the member's show opening. My friend Gail Crum's wonderful piece, It's Hell Getting Old, was one of 50 pieces juried into the exhibition!

It's Hell Getting Old, a mixed media artwork by Gail Crum

My friend Gail inside the free-standing library.

One of Clare's artworks onsite

Everywhere you looked, indoors and out, Clare and her artist husband are surrounded by artwork. It doesn't get any better than that!

Artwork everywhere! Here are some of John's sculptures

After an inspirational tour of the property, we sat in the living room for dessert. How can you not love the Rooster Chair?

After stopping by the opening to see Gail's new work, we headed over to a local winery to see one of our favorite musicians perform, Cletus Black. A fabulous bluesy singer-songwriter, Cletus is also just a really cool guy. I have never seen anyone so comfortable in their own skin.

Cletus at the winery

It was the perfect ending to a fabulous day.

It may be hell getting old, but I plan to do it surrounded by art and artists; this is what keeps us young at heart.

This Way, Please, Part 1

2010-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes, this way, please. I love this journal, because I treasure my collection of "body parts" images, snapped by my husband at my request. I use them all the time in my artwork.

I am teaching a journal making workshop here locally next month, on October 2nd. All students (young adults welcome) will learn how to make a hand bound Japanese stab-stitch journal. In addition, we will discuss journaling techniques, and I will get the class started by showing them (this could mean YOU) how to "consecrate" their work. The picture below shows a detail of the binding technique, which I have utilized on one of my own personal journals.

Last Friday was a rare "out of the house" day for me. I get so busy working, that sometimes weeks go by in

which I realize I haven't seen any people...and I'm a Taurus!! Believe, this can be painful. Anyway, my
artist friend Gail Crum and I made a studio visit last week. We talked art all the way there and all the way home, a total of three hours in the car. We also talked art while visiting the artist studio, of course, and we were joined by another mutual friend for lunch, so I got to talk books, as well. It was a lot of fun. Clare Murray Adams and I have been friends for a long time, and our creative paths have aligned themselves through sheer destiny, it sometimes seems.

Here is the door to Clare Murray's studio:

It was such an inviting and inspiring location. Here is some of what we saw:
Collagraphs:
Zippered rocks and zippered sticks:

and a cool collaborative project Clare is doing with Oberlin artist Rebecca Cross:

And all of this before lunch! More to come in This Way, Please, Part II.

Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow

2010-08-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, tomorrow. So much gets put off until then, and sometimes, for some of us, it never arrives. Luckily for me, my tomorrow is beginning today. Today is my lucky day, because I think I found the ticket to finally getting some help figuring out some of the things I need to get done...metaphorically...tomorrow.

One of my TagTalk cards from my etsy store

But first, I wanted to post one of my new Magic Baby designs. I love making jumpers, capelets, overalls and the like, but I really love making outfits. You know, matching jackets and skirts, or a top and leggings, a kimono jacket with matching overalls...things like that. Admitedly, they are slower to sell, probably because they are more expensive. In making outfits, though, I try to maintain my commitment to unique, one-of-a-kind styles, which are also highly functional for babies and their parents:, so I try to make the pieces both adjustable and reversible.

My newest Magic Baby outfit, a soft-waisted fairy skirt with a reversible jacket

It's been fun getting out my fall fabrics to work with. For this design, I have pulled out the wonderful star-sprinkled twill for the jacket. It is paired with pinwale corduroy and matching cotton for the details. As you can see, I haven't finished the reversible jacket yet. I have made two matching covered buttons for the jacket, one for this side, and one for the reverse. Tomorrow, I just need to make the buttonholes, then sew them on. The jacket has roll-up, adjustable sleeves, a cute bottom ruffle, and a shaped neckline echoed in the fairy skirt peplum. The back is here, on the left. I appliqued matching corduroy edged with piping to the jacket neckline. Cute!

The back of the skirt peplum dips lower than the front, and is finished with trim and matching covered buttons. The skirt waistband, which you can't see here, is a nice, stretchy soft knit. I love it!

Because all of my designs are produced by me, and are one-of-a-kind in terms of the fabrics used, I have been really trying to figure out how to expand my design presence. I don't want to mass produce, so I've been thinking instead of how to develop my designs into patterns. With over 25 years and a substantial reputation designing, making and exhibiting art quilts, a solid selling book under my belt, and now my work in designing baby clothing, I want to find a way to reach a larger audience. Enter my friend, fellow artist and tech-guru Shannon Okey.

I first met Shannon when we were both doing book-signings at the Sewing Expo in Cleveland. We were seated next to each other, and I liked and admired her from the moment we met. If you are a knitter, you probably have some of her wonderful knitting design books. I later discovered, by comparing our linkedin profiles, that we have similar backgrounds, the strangest one being that we both speak German! Anyway, Shannon is younger than I am, and I am in complete "I'm not worthy" mode when I see what she does on the web. I had been planning to call her next week to ask for help, when, today, in catching up on blogs I follow, I read hers, and immediately signed up for one of her new online classes, e-book basics. My goal is to learn how to create my own pdf pattern files, teach my honed-over-many-decades workshops online, and generally try to upgrade my knowledge of the online world. Starting a blog and my etsy shop were first steps. Thanks, Shannon, for giving me a "ticket" to my tomorrow.

Marshmallows...As a Food

2010-08-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to do something meaningful today. I just can't get my head straight to work and be creative. Today, I just feel like sleeping, or reading quietly, or doing something that does not make my head hurt.

That is how I came to be looking through some old files on my computer, and ran across this delightful picture, an ad for "Cooking and Eating Dilling's Marshmallows"...as a food. Since there are no instructions included, I have been half-heartedly thinking about a) marshmallows...as a food and, b) how one might go about cooking marshmallows. The only way I know to cook them is to roast them over an open fire. In my mind, that is not exactly "cooking." That is, in fact, only roasting: charring the outside of the marshmallow until it threatens to drip off the stick.

If I had a bag of marshmallows right now, I might be tempted to just sit and eat them. That is how I feel today. Being a creative person is hard sometimes. I think this is, in part, due to how the creative brain is wired, and how sensitive it seems to be by nature. That sensitivity occurs in at least two forms: internally and externally. The creative mind is internally sensitive, because it is highly trained, and perhaps inherently so, to pick up on cues, to interpret information differently, and to set to work playing around with that information. A creative person is also sensitive externally. By that I speculate that creative people are sensitive people, who respond with heightened reactions (overly sensitive) to external stimuli. When this happens, we feel burned out, empty and unproductive. That, at least, is how I feel.

How I long to go into my studio and make something. I just don't have it in me today, and I've decided not to fight it...today. If only I had a bag of marshmallows to keep me company.

Whooping It Up

2010-08-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

With my hubby off to band practice, I find myself with a few hours in a quiet house. This is a rare thing when both of us are working at home. I have a long "to do" list, like most of you do, I'm sure. Instead of tackling the garden weeds after a nice rain, I decided to look through my blog posts. This is my version, for today only, of whooping it up!

First of all, I just wanted to say a quick "thank you" to those of you who read my blog, even on occasion. In looking through my own past posts, there is some meaty subject matter there, if I do say so myself. I appreciate my blog readers immensely, especially knowing that most of you, like me, have very full plates in your day-to-day lives. So thank you all for taking the time.

I was going through old posts, because I had a sneaking suspicion that I have left many loose ends. Indeed, that is the case, as I read my own promises of "more to come" in future posts. In reality, I have found that life sometimes interferes with good intentions. Most often, though, I find that I am so busy trying to stay focused on the work at hand, the real, palpable work within my studio walls, that I often don't take the time to "document" what I am doing so I can easily post it here. Sigh. Such is life.

Altered Books workshop I taught in July

In the spring "post wedding" (please see my previous posts on this subject), the summer lay ahead, and promised to be a busy time. Now, as August comes to an end, I can say that this summer was very busy, indeed. Having not blogged about each event as it happened, I can only offer a brief overview of the highlights here.

I had a terrfic group of students in the Creating Altered Books workshop I taught at my local arts center. I brought along a stack of my own altered books to show what I have done over the years in this fun medium.

Writing in a journal is a great way to sort your thoughts

In early August, I presented a Creativity Workshop at the BayArts Women's Retreat weekend. This is probably my favorite class to present. Students only need simple tools, a journal and a pen, to work with in blowing their minds! I have spent at least a decade devising methods to help my class participants find their way back to their creative cores. The methods have been tested with many age groups and in many settings, and are very effective. It's gratifying for me to see the light bulb going off in my students' heads as they work.

For those of you in the area, I have two fun workshops coming up for Fall 2010, both at BayArts on the lake. In October is a family friendly workshop, The Family Journal Night, in which participants will learn how to hand bind a Japanese stab-stitch journal and consecrate it.

Detail of my hand bound journal and the spine

I customized the spine of my journal by adding spacers made from an old deck of playing cards. Adding spacers prevents thick pages in the journal from interfering with how the journal closes.

In November I am teaching Image Transfer techniques. Transferring images using a half dozen or so techniques is very popular right now, but I learned the basic methods while still in high school in the 1970s, and more in my freshman year of college. I have been using various techniques in my artwork for three decades now. This is another class that is really fun to teach, since the results are instantaneous! If you're around Northeastern Ohio, I hope you will join us!

One of my collages incorporating image transfers

As for the rest of the summer, there was a lot of live music, two class reunions, and lots and lots of sewing. My ongoing challenge for the months ahead is to continue to try to figure out how to balance it all. If you have any insights, I would love to hear them.

Hanging a Rug Part Deux

2010-06-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

The top sleeve halves pinned in place.

As I mentioned in my previous post, making a hanging sleeve for a needlepoint rug has many similarities to making a hanging sleeve for a quilt: you have to leave extra room at the side edges to make sure the hanging rod is covered when the piece is installed; if the piece is large enough, you need to allow a gap in the top sleeve for additional hanging hardware; you have to decide on the type of hanging rod that will be used ahead of time, so that you can factor in the width and depth of the rod into the size of your sleeve calculations.

In this case, I knew I needed weighted steel rods, at least in the bottom sleeve. I also knew I didn't want them to be too thick, which causes a bump even in a pleated sleeve, and would risk straining and distorting the closes stitching on the front. But where to get these rods? I emailed my artist friend, Kathy Weaver, who often uses this type of hanging rod in her work. In her area, she finds them at a local hardware store. In my area, I only found them at Home Depot, and had to search the store before finally finding cutable lengths in the hardware aisle. The steel rods are narrow, about 1", and thin, less than 1/4". They can also rust. For this reason, they need to be sealed, and the sleeve needs to be a double sleeve, i.e. a width stitched and folded in half so that no part of the rod comes in contact with the fibers of the quilt or rug directly.

Top sleeve with separation in the middle. If you look closely, you will see that the sleeve is doubled, with the edges finished and the seam allowance, unseen, against the piece.

This type of hanging rod is thin enough that the sleeve probably would not absolutely have to be pleated. The pleating, however, allows extra depth for the hanging rod prevent distortion, is easy to make, and therefore is usually the best solution. To make a double pleated sleeve, add the depth of the rod doubled, plus the width of the rod doubled. Calculate the seam allowance and add that to your measurement. Then add the doubled depth of the rod again, which will create an allowance for a pleat on one edge. This is the minimum size needed.

In my example here, I made the sleeve extra wide, wider than I would actually need, because of the tight stitching on the front, and because I needed to stitch the bottom edge of the sleeve into the reverse side of the needlepoint stitches for added strength. I cut a 10" piece of canvas, stitched a 3/8" seam allowance, then pressed the sleeve along the length so that the seam allowance fell in the middle. I also pressed the seam open to reduce bulk. I finished all the side edges after cutting the length in half for the top sleeve.
Start your stitching with a hidden knot. Sew the top (outside edge) first.

Like many textiles, the edge of this needlepoint rug was not completely straight. I laid the sleeve out to determine the best place to sew it straight across, and pinned it down. Remember to leave room for your pleat at the top edge. My pleat is relatively small, just over 1/4", so I have allowed plenty of space. After stitching the top edge down with a blind stitch and glazed quilting thread, (knots hidden, please!) I created my pleat:

Once the top edge is stitched in place, gently pull the entire sleeve toward the top edge to create the pleat. Since the sleeve had been previously steam ironed, the ironed edge on the bottom of the sleeve will give you a visual guideline. Check to be sure that, when the pleat is in place, the top of the hanging sleeve does not show on the front. Make adjustments as needed, then pin the bottom edge of the sleeve in place and pull the extra sleeve bulk toward the previously sewn edge. This will help keep it out of the way while you stitch.

The sleeve bottom edge is pinned in place. Notice how the pressed line provides a visual guide.

Notice there is enough room along the top edge to accomodate my thin hanging rod to prevent it showing on the front when the rug is installed.

Do the same to the bottom edge (minus the two-piece sleeve) and you are ready to install.

Hanging a Rug and other stuff to figure out

2010-06-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Magic Baby booth at a recent event.

Now that the Artist as Quiltmaker exhibition I curate has opened, and my daughter's wedding is over (I know, I never finished posting the pictures of the dress and jacket made for her...soon, soon, I promise!), I am back at work on my Magic Baby line and other artwork on my etsy store. I recently finished up several things I had cut out before the wedding. (Have you noticed my life has been defined by "pre-wedding" and "post-wedding?")

Although I had made several prototypes of this adorable little jacket for my granddaughters, I wanted to make one for little boys. This one is made out of snuggly flannel, is hooded, has adjustable sleeve lengths, and is completely reversible, part of my signature style. The first picture shows both sides of the jacket completed and ready to be measured for buttons before sewing it together.

One new thing I wanted to do on this jacket was to perfect my previous attempts to make completely handmade and baby-soft buttons. I have tried several different ideas previously, but wasn't completely happy with the results. This time, I used recycled plastic bottle cap rings covered with layers of quilt batting and flannel to create matching buttons. They turned out wonderfully!

I used the same style of handmade buttons on the inside. Since they are soft, they won't chafe the skin!

I also just finished a prototype for a new design, but will post about the separately. Suffice it to say that, each time I create a new pattern prototype, the goals are to a) have fun with it b) to solve some new problems and c) to try something new.

More on that later.

The other project that came my way in the past few weeks was designing a hanging sleeve. Because I have made art quilts for exhibition for the past 25 years, making a hanging sleeve isn't anything new. The twist for this project was that I needed to create an appropriate hanging sleeve for a very large needlepoint rug. Not only is the rug heavier than a quilt of the same size would be, but there is not backing layer of fabric to stitch into, and the entire large piece is stiff. I couldn't exactly curl up with it on my couch to work.

So, here you see my tools gathered, and the top sleeve pinned in place. Because of the weight of the rug, I opted to use unprimed, pre-washed and pre-shrunk canvas for the sleeves, both top and bottom. I needed very long, thin pins to be able to just graze the needlepoint canvas to hold the sleeves in place while stitching. I used glazed quilting thread that matches the canvas in a single strand to attach the sleeves.

In my next post, I will detail the logistics!

And the Days Go By Waiting for Spring

2010-03-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

As seen on etsy, an artwork by AmandaJean

I had a flash of a thought this morning while standing on my front porch: sloshing around in mud puddles in early spring. I can’t tell you when exactly, but it would have been in the persistent indentation in the gravel road in front of my childhood home. We had those kind of rubber boots that rose above the ankle and had an elastic ring that fastened to a button on the side of the boot. Since I was child number four of five, they were no doubt hand-me-downs, and had newspaper stuffed into the toe to make them fit.

Today, I don't want the rain, rain, to go away! I am more than ready for spring to arrive. The rain on the now bare soil smells like spring. Hurrah!

My life has been crazy busy since my last blog post. In addition to teaching three art classes at our local BayArts, I have been working with my friend Susanne to finish my daughter's wedding dress and a lace jacket. The first fitting has taken place, and this week it is time to begin constructing the jacket. Having found a lovely blue lace, we decided to forego painting the silk for the dress bodice, as I discussed earlier, and instead make the entire dress out of lovely slinky fabric with a lace covered bodice.

This lovely lace, with two different shaped edges, will cover the dress bodice and be made into a jacket.

In March, I also received a commission to create a Parokhet for a synogogue. A Parokhet is the decorative fabric curtain inside the Ark. I have been gathering fabric swatches, created an initial design sketch, and this week must create a scale drawing of my sketch, which I plan to color in for presentation.

I spent much of March gathering and tallying receipts to pull my tax information together. I am happy to report that all has been dropped off with our accountant. So glad to have that dreaded task off my list.

I hope signs of Spring are cheering you up. I hope to have time to stop and smell the roses when they bloom.

More Experiments: Painting Lace

2010-01-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

A selection of paints on hand to try: Jacquard Dyna-Flow, two Pearlescent liquid acrylics, Deka Perm-Air paint, and a pearlized Createx airbrush paint.

My daughter is getting married in late spring. This is a joyous occasion, of course, and has presented me with some new opportunities to experiment in the studio. How are my studio experiments connected to a wedding, you ask? It started when my friend Susanne Gregg agreed to make my daughter's wedding dress.

My daughter is not a traditional woman, and this will not be a traditional wedding dress. It will be blue, and it will be in a sumptuous knit fabric. This is where Susanne comes in: she is not only a terrific fiber artist, she is also a fabulous seamstress who has way more experience than I do in working with knit fabrics. (Plus, she has a serger!)

The wedding dress design is floor length, and sleeveless. Over the sleeveless dress will be a fabulous sheer and lace jacket that curves its way from front to back, and has long, bell-shaped sleeves. Susanne has already measured, done a fitting, and created the patterns. Because my forte is combining multiple fabrics, I will be designing the jacket once the dress is sewn.

At $28 a yard, this gorgeous silk is worth every penny.

The dress design we came up with utilizes a gorgeous puckered silk in the bodice. The challenge presented is that the silk is a creamy white, and provides too much contrast against the blue body of the dress. It could be, and may well be, covered by an overlay of some of the laces from the jacket. It could also be dyed, but I don't have a large selection of dyes around the house. This is where paint comes in to the "what if" discussion.

I pulled out a selection of paints I had on hand in the right color-way, and decided to experiment to see how the colors looked, and how the body of the paint worked with the fabrics and trims selected. Along with a snippet of the puckered silk, I cut small pieces of pre-washed laces and trims for a test. These are samples of fabrics that will be used in conjunction with the main jacket fabrics, shown below.

I laid out the snippets, stapled to a foundation paper, and grabbed my paint brushes. Across the top, I wrote the brand and color name of each of the paints I wanted to try.

I worked with dry fabrics, because I wanted to see the intensity (and body) of the applied colors. Within those parameters, I experimented with both dabbing and brushing the paint. On the silk, after brushing the paint on the left, I used a sea sponge to dab it on the right side of the swatch.

I had expected the Dyna-Flow paints to give the best results, but that was not the case. Maybe it was the color I chose, but it was a bit "clumpy" on the multiple textures of the lace. My favorite turned out to be the Pearlescent acrylic inks, with the "waterfall green" (shown in the center of the paint swatches) seeming to offer the perfect way to pick up the light aqua color my daughter wanted to include.

Again, stay tuned. I will show you the dress and jacket as they develop. Oh, and I will be adding pictures of my Galway Circus Poster piece as I get them uploaded.

Experiments and Getting it Done

2010-01-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

I found this poster in Galway, Ireland several years ago. When I travel, I like to find stuff to use in my artwork.

There is nothing like teaching a class to inspire some quick work in the studio. Tomorrow is Week 3 of my class Unraveling the Stories: Narrative Fiber Collage. Each week, I like to present a few new approaches in addition to the creativity exercises I hand out as 'homework.' I also like to develop a new artwork over the course of the class, so that students can see my process. In addition to giving me something to work on while the students are engrossed in their own projects, making an artwork "live" also provides an easy opening for shyer students to get their questions answered. For all the students, it helps to alleviate any fears they might have about experimenting and just starting to work.

Anyway, I have wanted to do something with this circus poster ever since I found it in a shop window in Galway. To bring it home, I packed in the bottom of my suitcase, covered top and bottom with the large sheets of paper and mat board that I always travel with. When I got home, knowing I would want to attach it to another surface, (and that would require strengthening the paper,) I fused the poster to Heat-n-bond lite.

In these two pictures, you can see the iron on adhesive on the back of the posted, with the still unremoved protective paper behind it.

The next step was to prepare a surface for the poster. Since my students are working with the same unprimed canvas that I like to use, I decided it would be great to show them what can be done with a couple applications of gesso and paint to create a background surface for other artwork.

I cut a hunk of pre-washed and pre-shrunk unprimed canvas, then positioned the poster where I wanted it, off center vertically. With a pencil, I quickly traced the edges of the poster, then removed it. I applied a layer of gesso and let it dry. Yesterday, I added another layer of gesso, and this time, I added textures to it with a bamboo skewer and a comb from my bathroom drawer.

I still have not adhered the poster to the canvas, because I want to paint it in class tomorrow. I will also want to sandpaper, draw on, collage and paint the poster itself. After that, I will finish the composition, and likely add a lot of stitching, which is something I love to do at night while watching PBS or the news.

More to come as the piece moves along. I have another experiment to show you later, too: hand coloring lace. Stay tuned.

Tristan's Celebration

2010-01-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

Fellow blogger Tristan Robin is celebrating his 300th follower! Wow, I am really in awe of anyone who has put out that many blog posts, let alone ones that are so fun to read. If you have never read is blog, now is the time to check it out. Leave a comment, and you can also be entered in his art supply celebration giveaway. Good luck, and thanks to Tristan for the fun reading.

Losing Our Minds

2009-12-31T07:22:00.001-08:00

My friend and fellow artist Christine Mauersberger, sent me an email yesterday with pictures and a question about a family heirloom, a gorgeous mid-19th century red and green quilt. I didn't ask permission, so I won't post a picture of the quilt here, but will tell you a story of what happened when I looked at it.

Gayle and Christine at our group exhibition opening, Flavors of Fiber

I am not an expert in 19th century quilts. My research expertise has been focused on the contemporary quilt movement, which emerged in the 1950s, and which I wrote about in my book Uncommon Threads: Ohio's Art Quilt Revolution. Two of my friends, however, happen to be world renowned experts in quilt history: Virginia Gunn and Ricky Clark. I first met Virginia in 1988 when we moved back to Ohio from Philadelphia. She was presenting a program on quilt dating, and participants had brought quilts for her to look at. Recently retired from the University of Akron, Gunn is still teaching courses at the International Quilt Study Center. Seven years ago or so, we had both been invited to speak at the Ohio Historical Society in celebration of Ohio's bicentennial, as had Ricky. Having recently received a family heirloom quilt of my own, I decided to bring it along, so I could show it to Virginia. Having told her nothing about it, she took one look at it, and said, "This quilt was made in Knox County, Ohio in 1840; I recognize the fabric." I was stunned, and she was right. That's how good she is.

I met Ricky Clark around the same time I first met Virginia. I attended a program on quilt history that Ricky was presenting related to the Ohio quilt documentation project she was conducting. Over the years, Ricky truly became a mentor, enthusiastically supporting my artwork production and my interest in quilt research. It was she who suggested that Ohio University Press approach me to write a book; it was she who gave me all of her old Quilter's Newsletter Magazines, and generously shared her other research materials. It was she who invited me to serve as co-curator for several exhibitions she assembled, and it was she who suggested that I take over as curator of the Artist as Quiltmaker exhibition, which she had founded in the early 1980s.

When Christine emailed me the picture of her quilt, I responded with my initial observations, then immediately went to put my hands on two of Ricky's books, which I knew contained detailed information about the style of quilt in question.

Quilts in Community was published with the research results of the Ohio quilt documentation project, and has always been one of my favorites. It is the perfect combination of quilt and state history, two of my passions. It is chock full of information about Ohio's wonderful treasure-trove of quilts and quiltmakers, with just the right helping of historical detail, such as the types of dyes used, or where Ohio's immigrant community came from. Oh, and there are lots and lots of color pictures.

Quilted Gardens was directly written about the type of quilt Christine had, and, although it wasn't strictly focused on Ohio quilts, the book contains its fair share of Ohio-made quilts from the 19th century, with wonderful genealogical stories to go along with the heirlooms.

It was delightful last evening to look through these books, since it had been several years since I had read them for the umpteenth time. Reading Ricky's words, the exquisite detail ferreted out from 150 years of quilt history by a brilliant mind, reminded me of the joy that comes from following one's passions. It also saddened me, because the Ricky Clark I knew no longer exists. She has been taken from us by Alzheimer's disease.

In the past several years, several fabulous women in my life have fallen prey to this terrible fate. Like Ricky, family friend, colleague and Oberlin printmaker Mary Rosenthal is gone. Painter, entrepreneur extraordinaire, dear friend and former mother-in-law Kathy Pritchard is gone. Kathy technically died of breast cancer, which she fought valiantly, but when I saw her last prior to her death, at my 50th birthday party, she didn't know me. I miss her. She was only in her early 60's. Another close family member, also quite young, was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. I dread the day when she no longer remembers who I am. Finally, two nights ago, our dear Aunt Jane succumbed. Jane was also young, and had been a brilliant accountant, and one of the brightest women I ever knew. I miss her, too.

As the New Year, and the new decade, approaches, I am once again reminded of the frustratingly fleeting quality of life. I was hit over the head with this not-so-gentle fact when both of my parents died a year apart in the early 1990s. Once again, life nudges me to remember...remember love, remember who I am, remember to live in the now, remember, remember, remember...lest we all lose our minds.

New Classes Scheduled

2009-12-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

I am teaching classes locally for the first time in many years: check out the Winter Newsletter at BayArts for more details. (My class descriptions begin on page 11 of the pdf document.) Hope to see you there! Here is the newsletter description for the first one, coming up in January.

Mixed Media - new & cool
Unraveling the Stories: narrative fiber collage - with Gayle Pritchard

In this course, you will learn the elements of design, composition, color use and idea development, along with lots of encouragement to develop the confidence needed to explore.
Using surface design and embellishment techniques, small base images will be created on canvas. Layer by layer, the compositions will be developed through mark-making, stitchery, collage and narrative to create an art object from the stories of your everyday life. No previous experience is necessary. Drop the kids off at school and enjoy a few hours of relaxation, creativity and spirituality.
tuesdays 9:30 - 11:30 am
Jan 12 - feb 9 (5 weeks)

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

2009-12-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

As I stood outside on my front porch today, a snowflake landed on my black glove. The glistening white stood in sharp contrast, so I could see every detail visible to the human eye without a microscope. Looking at it immediately reminded me of how much I loved cutting paper snowflakes in elementary school, and how, when the folds were opened, a lovely surprise revealed itself. Today's snowflake was teeny-tiny, less than a quarter of an inch in diameter, and it was absolutely perfect. Every little point and space was pristine; it was beautiful.

The plants in my yard have been winterized now that December has arrived, and the still uncut flowers are frozen in their fall colors on their branches. A few of my roses still have pale pink flowers. Meanwhile, inside my porch window, cozy in the warmth of the house, one of my jade plants has decided to bloom.

I have had this plant for a very long time, and over many years it has grown to be about two feet tall. It has never bloomed before. In fact, in all my years of plant-loving and nurturing, I have never seen a jade plant in bloom.

I am in a somber mood lately. Nearly everyone I know is experiencing some sort of difficulty, some with their own health; others are worn out by juggling their lives while care-giving to family members in failing health. Almost all of the others in my circle are struggling through the economic downturn our country is mired in, and my own family unit is no exception. Times are tough out there, and people are stressed to the limit.

This is why it is so important to notice what is around is, and to search for the small pleasures of life. Artists have an advantage in seeing, because artists are hard-wired to see the world through their own peculiar lenses, finding beauty and inspiration everywhere they look. Noticing the small, quiet splendors is an especially potent way to nurture the soul. I can't think of a more healing way to spend a moment of our precious lives.

Today, a tiny snowflake and a blooming jade plant buoyed my soul. I have chosen to see them both as sign of hope. What is keeping you afloat?

Speaking of Engagements

2009-10-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

The weeks go by, and I can't seem to keep up with my work, my emails, my friends. Oh, and yes, my blog. Last Friday I came down with the flu, always an unwelcome occurance to a busy person. Sigh. I don't think it was the swine flu, although I never got into the doctor's office to find out for sure. I just hunkered down for the past five days and waited to feel better.

Since I am a person who would practially have to be forced to stay in bed, I putzed around the house, organizing in my office, pulling out fabrics, and generally worked without working. I didn't attempt anything that required a clear head! Mainly I organized and brainstormed through my stuffy, fuzzy head.

I did figure out a new closure solution to my winter Magic Baby dresses and overalls.

Instead of using the adjustable knot closure I had created for the summer designs, I decided to design a tab in constrasting fabric. The tab is stitched to the "inside" of the reversible dress along the back shoulder. It slips through an elasticized loop, buttoning on the "outside" shoulder. The tab has two buttonholes in it, making it adjustable for extra growing room, one of the requirements of my Magic Baby designs. I am very pleased to have finally figured out an aestetically pleasing solution!

The fall and winter dresses and overalls are not only adjustable, but still reversible. I am using super soft pinwale corduroy on one side, and cotton on the "reverse", or cotton flannel with the overalls. I have also designed matching hooded and reversible jackets for winter, and hope to have the first ones finished this week.

It has been several years since I have participated in a vendor's mall. In fact, I think the last time was at the wonderful (and now defunct) Art Continuum events created and managed by my friend Ginny Carter Smallenburg. Ginny's fabulous event was one of the first, if not THE first, art events full of cool vendor stores and workshops that one now sees all over the country. She also managed them perfectly, treating vendors, teachers and students with respect, and bringing in the best of the best from everywhere. They were very fun weekends!

I am scheduled for a vendor's booth at the upcoming Cleveland Metroparks Reflections of Nature quilt show the weekend of November 14th and 15th. The director, Dan Crandall, had contacted me last year to be a juror for the exhibition, and to present a program and booksigning on Sunday the 15th about my book, Uncommon Threads: Ohio's Art Quilt Revolution. Since the event also has a vendor's mall, I will be setting up a live version of my etsy shop! My Magic Baby designs (dresses, baby blankets, overalls, jackets) will be there, as well as handmade journals, tote bags and other fun creations. Stop by and say hello if you're in the area.

Compositional Conversations

2009-10-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note to say that my portion of the Compositional Conversations has been posted on the group's blog: http://studio24-7.blogspot.com/2009/10/compositional-conversation-stage-nine.html?showComment=1255965935522#c817773486993471689

Feel free to add your comments. The piece passes from artist to artist, each one having it for a week to work on. The goal is not to resolve the composition, but to converse figuratively, artistically and mentally with the piece as you receive it. Enjoy!

Busy is good, right?

2009-10-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Color me! Artist as Quiltmaker entrant Susan Shie brings smiles and happiness everywhere she goes. She added this to the back of her entry envelope.

My busy week began last Saturday in Oberlin, Ohio. I arrived at the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts to meet the Artist as Quiltmaker XIV juror, Carolyn Mazloomi, and the generous volunteers who came to help me, the curator, with the image jury for the exhibition.

Some of the Artist as Quiltmaker XIV entries, organized for the Image Jury.

After a nice lunch with my friend and colleague Mary Ann Tipple, I drove home, showered and dressed for a fun evening out at my local arts facility, BayArts. A local writer friend, Kristen Hampshire, hosted a book signing in the gallery of the art center, and my husband's band, Back Bay (aka 'The Lads') performed. There was a great crowd, as Kristen signed several of her books, and people crowded into the gallery to hear the music and talk. I have never seen so many local writers in one room at one time. What a blast!

Kristen (center) with a fan, and her editor from Quarry Books, Mary Ann (left)

After the show, recording artist Cletus Black stopped by the house to drink some beer and gab with us. It was fun getting to know him better, and, for me, to learn more about being an artist from a singer/songwriter's viewpoint. I have learned over the years that the creative process is the same in many ways, only differing somewhat as the approach takes on different guises. If an artist is a songwriter, musician, actor, poet, writer or visual artist, there is a common experience to be shared. Creative inspiration is universal, yet simultaneously unique to the creator. We stayed up talking way too late. I was invited to join Cletus on Tuesday, when Back Bay went into the recording studio to add some kick-ass guitar and back up vocals for his new album.

Sunday morning, I slept in, and aaahhh, what a luxurious indulgence. I worked on getting the Artist as Quiltmaker jury notification letters prepared, and drank way too many cups of coffee. I like to respond to the artists who enter the show as soon as possible, so that they can either enter their work into another show, or prepare to ship it to FAVA for the Object Jury in November, when the juror selects the final work that will be exhibited next May, and awards the prize money.

On Monday, I began to prepare for my contribution to an artist's group project, Compositional Conversations. This is a cool project started by my colleague Terry Jarrard Dimond. I have blogged about this project before, and encourage you to check out Terry's link to see more. I have now sent the piece to the next artist, and will be writing more about my thought processes concerning this collaborative project later this week.

Back Bay at the Dave's studio (center); David Speaker and Chris Pritchard discuss the microphone set-up with Dave.

Tuesday evening finally arrived, and it promised to be a fun night. I was not disappointed. Chris added a cool rhythm guitar track, then he and David laid down vocal tracks to Cletus' song Drew Us Kings. The album will probably be out in the spring.

Cletus arrived, and he and I sat in the upstairs "crow's nest" listening to the vocal tracks, and talking about art.

Dave's cool board...

Since this was the first time I had been in a recording studio, I was fascinated by every aspect of it. The digital technology is simply amazing. Study and talent in special combinations are required for all: the artists recording, playing music, and singing, and the engineering on the board. Oh, and Dave is also an amazing musician with a great ear!

After David needed to take off to take his dogs home, Cletus invited Chris to stay. He recorded a demo of his version of another of Cletus' songs, Road to Nowhere, from his Down Those Tracks cd. Of the thirty plus years I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by Chris' music, this little demo recording, with his heartfelt vocals and simple acoustic guitar, is one of my all-time favorites. Not to mention, it's a fabulous song, with lyrics that will bring tears to your eyes.

The Taylor or the Fender? The Taylor or the Fender? Chris and Dave test out guitar sounds to see which one will be right for the recording. Just like visual artists, using the right tools for the desired effect is crucial.

After Road to Nowhere, Dave recorded while Cletus and Chris played a rousing Cletus Black version of Kansas City. By the time they were done, it was after midnight (the hour, not the song!), and we had stayed up past out bedtime again. What a fun night!

Did I mention it was only Tuesday? More of the busy week's events to come. Happy October!

More Experiments and Preparing for The Artist as Quiltmaker IV

2009-10-03T13:00:00.001-07:00

Unopened piles of entries for The Artist as Quiltmaker IV

This week, my role as curator of The Artist as Quiltmaker exhibition kicked into high gear. The second oldest, longest running venue for viewing art quilts in the world, this exhibition was conceived of in 1979 by quilt historian Ricky Clark. She had gone to see the very first Quilt National in Athens, Ohio, and was inspired by what she saw. As one of a group of people working to create an arts center in Oberlin, Ohio, Ricky knew immediately that she wanted to create a high quality exhibition that would occur in the off-years of Quilt National. Thus, both the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA) and The Artist as Quiltmaker were born, and the first exhibition opened in 1981. Since that time, every year a major art quilt exhibition is on view in Ohio.

It was in creating a symposium to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the exhibition that I was inspired to write my book, Uncommon Threads: Ohio's Art Quilt Revolution, to outline the untold story of Ohio's role in the now worldwide art quilt movement. We are now in our 28th year, and The Artist as Quiltmaker IV exhibition that opens next spring promises to be another wonderful exhibition. This year's juror, Carolyn Mazloomi, arrives next Saturday to view the entries, and make her initial selections. I'll keep you posted!

In a brief aside, I mentioned in my last blog posting, at the end, that I would be writing next about my participation in Compositional Conversation, an artists project conceived by Terry Jarrard Dimond. I had my weeks mixed up, so will be working on the project now in my possession, and writing about it in the weeks to come. Check out the video of the project thus far, and feel free to add your comments at the link above.

As time presses in around me, I continue to experiment with my Magic Baby reversible overalls design. I finished my second prototype this week. This time I altered a pattern that had no separate bodice, so I was able to applique my desired designs directly onto the body of the overalls. For the outside, I used a brightly colored denim twill with some cotton scraps in soft colors, and for the reverse, a matching and very soft cotton knit.

Other than applying one section of the snap tape backwards, this cute prototype was fun to make. I tried a different solution for the shoulder closures than I have used for my Magic Baby Dresses, because I want to come up with a closure that will work for little boys.

Using twill tape covered with stitched ribbon, I altered the shape of the shoulder pieces, and inserted the strap into the top front. I made it long enough to loop through the back strap, added two button holes to the twill tape, and sewed four buttons in place, two on the front and two on the reverse.

I was worried that the snap tape would not reverse properly. That did not end up being my problem, backward snap tape aside. The thickness of the doubled twill tape gave good body, but there are two things I don't like about the button closure. Number one, I don't like the buttons. The whole design is so soft and cuddly, that I don't like the idea of a hard button on the inside up against a baby or toddler. Secondly, by sewing two buttons in essentially the same location, one on the outside and one on the inside, it is very hard to button the strap in place. Yes, I considered adding some space under the button by either wrapping cording to raise it off the surface, or by using a shank button. Neither of these solve the problem, and, if anything, would exacerbate the problem by making the buttons even more prominently sticking out. I could use my "soft" button idea, but two together is too think. So, for now, it's back to the drawing board.

Experiments in Construction and Composition

2009-09-27T06:33:00.001-07:00

Magic Baby reversible overalls experiment

I am swimming in experiments. This past week, as I try to design my fall and winter etsy line, I finished up my first reversible overalls prototype. The design is very cute, with two bodices to play with and a cute crossed back strap.

I pieced one side using a recycled wide wale corduroy blouse and some fun, striped cotton upholstery left over from making pillow case edges years ago.
On the reverse, I used a decorator-weight cotton sateen in light blue, and added pockets lined with the stripe.

As cute as the design came out, there are some problems I discovered while testing out my ideas. First of all, there is no leg opening (think snap tape for babies) for ease of diaper changes. To change the design would require some simple re-drafting. Secondly, with the back bodice design including built-in crossed straps, the shoulder tabs would need to be lengthened in order for me to make them adjustable. The gathering into the bodice is adorable, but perhaps not great for a boys design, which would look better with pleats. Most importantly, viewed from the light of my non-mass-production of these for retail sale, there are too many adaptations to be made and corrected for size. I decided it will be easier to work with a different pattern design altogether, so I am preparing to try Magic Baby Reversible Overalls Prototype #2 today.

A few weeks ago, in another composition experiment, I pulled out flannel scraps left over from making Magic Baby Snuggle Blankies. I have always been frugal in most aspects of my life; needless to say, I was not going to let those exquisite scraps go to waste, especially when baby clothing requires so little fabric. My first step was to cut off any selvedges from the scraps, then rotary cut them into strips and squares, which were stacked together in a box. Piecing the strips together, I could make matching snuggly cuddly reversible jackets for the Snuggle Blankies. It was easy to add little tags of ribbon into the seams, keeping everything very soft, and snippets of trim to the fold-up cuffs. After turning the jacket right side out, I inserted a scrap of pre-gathered satin pink ruffle into the bottom edge.

Magic Baby Cuddle Jacket Prototype, front

The biggest challenge in this design, as is the case in many of my designs, is coming up with a unique closure that is also functional. For the jacket, I inserted a piece of medium gauge, round elastic into bias tape, gathered it and measured the length before inserting it in between the front and reverse jacket sections. Next, since I don't want to be buying tons of buttons, and because buttons can pop off, I created a "soft" button using ribbon blanket trim satin stitched over a cut-down cosmetic sponge, and stitched in place with an "X" of embroidery floss.

This design was fast, easy, and, in my mind, a complete success. I have the pattern worked out from NB to 4T, and plan to make jackets that also match my fall pinwale corduroy designs of my Magic Baby Dresses.

I am still working on prototypes for my "story clothes", completing a hand-quilted baby quilt in the evenings (almost done!), making new TagTalk cards, and finishing a girls dress for a friend who gave me two bags of fabric.

I am an artist, so why am I spending so much time designing baby clothes? There are several answers to this question: a) I need to earn a regular income, and baby clothes sell faster than artwork b) I am a grandmother, and like making things for babies c) It's fun and challenging. Granted, I have had to put my current book project on hold, and don't have as much time in the studio to make artwork. Coming in my next blog post, though, is a challenging artists project I am part of, Compositional Conversations. Check out the link to see what it is about. I will be adding my contributions next week.

My new granddaughter, Madison, wearing her MagicBaby Cuddle Jacket.

Into the Swing of Things

2009-09-20T07:05:00.001-07:00

Home, one of my mixed media paintings

This past week, my life slowly began to return to normal. As I have written before, in my world, family comes first. Over the past month, family duties called, and frequently! My primary duty has been as nurse to my husband, as he recovered from foot surgery. Between carting ice bags, food, a guitar, laptop, tea and water up and down the stairs of our home, I had little time to think about work. When I wanted to work, I had to find alternatives to sewing, since my studio is right next to our bedroom, and I didn't want to wake my sleeping giant with the noise of the sewing machine motor.

Along with some new handwork, a baby quilt for my etsy shop, I re-read a few books, including one of my favorites, How the Irish Saved Civilization. I took the time to also read a new book from the Ohio University Press Ohio Quilt series, Philena's Friendship Quilt, the same series in which my first book appeared, Uncommon Threads: Ohio's Art Quilt Revolution. It was actually nice to have some time to read for pleasure.

A new book, which just came out, and which I have not yet read, was written by former Shelburne Museum curator Robert Shaw. Entitled American Quilts: The Democratic Art - 1780-2007, Shaw's book promises to be a great read. As a leading scholar in the field, Shaw's previous books, including The Art Quilt, numerous articles, and his concise introduction to Art Quilts: A Celebration, have vastly contributed to an understanding of the art quilt movement in the United States.

To get back into the swing of work, and with fall coming on here in the midwest, I moved my 'garage' workspace into the house this week. My upstairs studio, with just one very large work table, does not have enough room for me to spread out and work on some of my other design items. I needed a place to work on my TagTalk greeting cards, collages made from recycled clothing tags and product packaging.

By moving a few side chairs in my family room, I was able to create a space to organize my vast collection of tags. It's nothing fancy, but has already improved the speed of my composition process.

Some of my TagTalk cards

So, as you can see, I have been busy, as I get back into the the swing of things. As the days shorten, and winter approaches, I look forward to many happy hours of sewing bliss.

Finding Your Soul Through Your Hands and More Fall Fiber Exhibitions

2009-09-05T07:57:00.001-07:00

This past week I heard a great interview on PBS by Jeffrey Brown of author Matthew Crawford. Crawford's new book, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work sounds like a great read. It is about the value of making things and doing things with our hands. I can't wait to read it. I also can't help but think it represents the current societal trend, as happened in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, of re-learning how to be a maker. Once again, people across the world are turning to making; this is evident in the popularity of knitting, quilting, scrapbooking, and in online places like etsy.

I have been teaching workshops, ostensibly on making, for decades now. What my workshops are really about, though, is reconnecting. If my workshops are successful, the participants come away understanding how to find and listen to their inner voices once again. Listening to that inner voice is crucial for artists, but is also a honed skill that anyone can benefit from. Why do you think gardening is so popular? When my website update is complete, I will be posting some tutorials from my workshops, some exercises you can try at home. You can then test this out for yourself. If you are feeling lost or disconnected, you can find your way home.

Speaking of workshops, years ago two sisters signed up for my class, Spirit Boxes, Sacred Vessels and Shrines. One of them, Gail Crum , really found her voice, and has been creating fabulous assemblages ever since, several of which I have in my own art collection. She, her artist husband Sean Crum and painter Richard Skerl will be exhibiting at the Pentagon Gallery in Cleveland Heights, Ohio beginning today. The show will be up through October 24th.

As I mentioned in my last post, the art exhibition season is gearing up. The postcard announcements and emails are pouring in from friends and colleagues, so I would like to highlight a few more exhibitions I have heard about. Some of the local (greater Cleveland) galleries do not have websites, so you'll have to find your way to those locales.

Rock Ghost 2 by Rebecca Cross, solo exhibit, Transformations: Shibori in Silk At the Fountain Gallery, Malone College in Canton, Ohio

Having completed her MFA a few years back, Cross' work has blossomed, as she shreds the line between work for the wall and work for the sky.

September 4 - 27, Beachwood (Ohio) Community Center, fiber artists Jean Evans, Carole Pollard, Sandy Shelenberger, Judith Kessler Smith and Sonja Tugend will be showing work in Fabrications x Five.

In St. Louis, Missouri, a happenin' fiber art city, you can see the work of my colleague Pat Owoc in several group show venues. Her solo exhibition, Not Altogether Whole, will open in the Charak Gallery at the Craft Alliance on September 11, and will be on view until October 25, 2009.

Detail, Rest Area 1 Mile, by Pat Owoc

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend, a holiday which was designed to honor the work of our hands. Make something this weekend!

Fiber Art Exhibits Gearing Up for Fall, Part 1

2009-08-29T06:28:00.001-07:00

One of the joys of looking through the mail is receiving invitations from artist friends and colleagues for their upcoming exhibitions. This is the season for new fiber art exhibitions, and this fall will be no exception. Visiting art exhibits is self-stimulating. It is also a fact that, especially in our field, other fiber artists eschew petty jealousies and competitiveness, instead appearing at openings from near and far to see other fellow artists, and to be supportive of those whose work is on exhibit.

Conversation in Fabric at the Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus. The fabulous work of artist Susan Shie graces the exhibition postcard.

The exhibition I curate, The Artist as Quiltmaker, juries in the fall, but hangs in the late spring, a time when the school year is coming to an end and we all dream of the coming summer. The biennial exhibition, the second oldest, longest-running venue for viewing art quilts in the world (second only to Quilt National) carries the pulse of the art quilt movement, both through the jurors and the exhibitors throughout the history of the show. This year's juror, Carolyn Mazloomi, will bring her own sensibility to the entries, one of the exciting things about utilizing a single juror. The entry guidelines are left purposefully flexible. We do not limit the size or offer a definition of a quilt, for example. As a result, we really receive, and exhibit, very cutting edge work. If any of you are planning to enter, click on the link to the show above, and download the pdf entry form. The entry deadline is September 29, 2009.

Opening on September 13, Conversations in Fabric at the Ohio Craft Museum was curated by Tracy Rieger and Linda Fowler of Quilt Surface Design Symposium fame. The work of twenty-five artists will be on exhibit through November 1st in Columbus, Ohio. The exhibiting artists include longtime friends Susan Shie, Sandy Shelenberger, Deborah Anderson and Barbara Lind, new acquaintance Sue Cavanaugh, as well as the wonderful work of artists such as Dorothy Caldwell, Patricia Larson, and Catherine Jeffers. Because of the incredible depth of Ohio's art quilt scene, (successfully documented in my book), there is always something wonderful to see in Columbus. Don't miss this one.

Corner Office by Terry Jarrard-Dimond, from her solo exhibit, Textile Constructions

I am currently participating in an online artist dialogue started by South Carolina fiber artist Terry Jarrard-Dimond and called Compositional Conversation. It is the second such virtual artist project I have participated in, and it promises to be a very stimulating experience. I first became familiar with Terry's work when several of her art quilts were juried into The Artist as Quiltmaker a few years ago. A stunning, process oriented artist and craftswoman, Dimond's solo exhibition at the Goodall Gallery at Columbia College, South Carolina promises to be fabulous. Textile Constructions opens September 1, so check it out if you're in the area.

My husband had surgery on both feet earlier this week. As a result of caring for him until he can walk again, my focus is elsewhere this week, and likely in the coming weeks. Look for more information on upcoming exhibitions to see in the coming days. And enjoy your feet, and your hands! I have gained a new appreciation for these taken-for-granted body parts this week.

Cleaning Out Our Attics

2009-08-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

These are fish napkin holders. They arrived in Saturday's mail, carefully wrapped and shipped USPS Priority Mail. Inside the box was a note from a dear college friend I had seen earlier in the week. She was in town from Paris visiting her elderly parents, and they had been cleaning out the attic of their family home. The never-used fish napkin holders, gifted to her parents long ago, had sat boxed up in the attic for years, waiting to be re-gifted to someone who still uses cloth napkins. That someone would be me, the recipient of a sweet and thoughtful gesture from a friend and her elderly parents, all of whom I adore.

This entire episode reminded me that we, 'we' meaning my husband and I, my siblings, my colleagues and all my friends in their fifties, we are all in a "cleaning out the attic" stage of our lives. The attic-clearing can be literal: passing long things we've held onto over the years, but no longer need or want, to someone else.

When my children left home, out of my house went extra furniture, dishes and pots and pans. Now that they both own homes, I have a list in my mind of special family heirlooms or otherwise valuable items in my attic and closets that I have now decided they are "old enough" to value and take care of. By becoming homeowners and parents, they have attained a certain level of stability in their lives at the same time that I am in the mood to clear "things" out of my own.

My 'baby' sister and I this summer, during her visit from Italy

My entire summer has been a more metaphorical cleaning of the attic. I have been acquiring new roles, such as "grandmother of three," "college buddy now in her fifties." I have also had the pleasure of not only forging fresh relationships with new grandbabies and old college friends, but of reconnecting with high school friends on Facebook and my own siblings, all wrapped in a parentheses of the music being created within my own family unit.

At this age, relationships become even more important, as they are my fuel for being an artist. Over the past decade, I have carefully swept my attic clean of unhealthy, one-sided relationships. I find I no longer have a tolerance for being with people who have nothing to give back in return. Instead, I have focused on my family, and building new and stronger relationships with our artist friends and musicians, all of whom provide deep love and support, shared experiences, and new ideas that find their expression in a cleaned out attic, where there is room to grow.

In July my tArty friends, a local artist group, met at my house to share their new work. It ran the gamut from exciting commissions, new, mind-blowing sketchbooks, and ideas developed into artwork.
Christy's commission sketches

Jill's sketchbook drawings

Christine with work inspired by her sketchbooks

In my own work, I have spent the summer working on designs for my new line of Magic Baby clothes. They have been selling as fast as I can get them finished and photographed. Now I am gearing up for Fall and Winter, with new editions being created in soft flannel, knitted fabric and baby cord. I am also trying to work out some baby boy designs. I need to come up with something very cute and very unique, but not "girly." My 'clean attic' and supportive relationships give me the support and space to let my mind have room to think.

Please don't get the idea that my house or my work space is literally clean. Quite the opposite. In my writing studio, every shelf is covered with research materials, my manuscript pages and files, and accented with piles of finished artwork, TagTalk cards and the like decorating the floor.

In my art studio, a too-small bedroom filled with a Pier 1 dining room table converted to a work table, fabric and works in progress are everywhere. It looks like a mess, but this is how I work. I have my fabrics organized in ways that I can find just what I am searching for. My trims and notions are organized in containers and boxes that fill the space under my work table. The lighting is terrible, but this is the space I have to work in, and this is where I work. Every day.

My point in showing this to you is that the "cleaning the attic" analogy has nothing to do with literal cleaning. It has everything to do with clearing out our lives so that we can focus on our passions. For those of you who haven't found your passion yet, I suggest the technique of attic-clearing to help you make room for finding it.

Another artist group I am participating in, Compositional Conversations, was formed online by my colleague Terry Jarrard Dimond. You can check the links in my sidebar to some of the artists who are also participating and writing about the project. Terry, an amazing artist, invited 16 artists to participate in a conversation, both in writing online and responding, but also by agreeing to be recipients of an art piece begun by her with a single piece of fabric which is sent to each artist respectively to be added to, considered, and conversed with. It's an intriguing exercise for the artists, and a chance to respond to the choices other artists have made. My turn to receive the artwork-in-progress is fast approaching. Each week, as I see the pictures posted from the other participants, my heart starts to race in nervous anticipation. Clearing out my metaphorical attic has made room for these new experiences and artistic conversations.

If you regularly follow my blog, you may have noticed that I have been absent for awhile. I have been really, really busy working, and have needed to focus on that. Somehow, though, the fish napkin holders arriving in the mail following six weeks of reconnecting with old friends and loved ones got me to thinking about the past, about attics, about relationships, and about making room for what is important. I hope, perhaps, my thoughts will jog your own in the same way. Time to clean your attic.

Nose to the Grindstone

2009-08-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Alright now, seriously. It's been almost a month since my last blog post.

Okay, seriously. That sounds like a confession to a priest in a movie. It's true, however. My life is not a movie. It only feels like one sometimes.

This is just a quick note to say hello, and to let you know that I have been working so much, and such long hours, that I haven't had the energy to think of anything clever to share. I will try to catch up with my sweet and kind readers soon.

In the meantime, happy August, and back to the grindstone for me.

Hearing Voices

2009-07-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Last year, I was part of a small group show with my local artist group, affectionately known as "the tArts." The show was held at the lovely and spacious Stocker Gallery at Lorain County Community College.

The tArts in the 2008 configuration: Christy Gray, Tina Rossi, Gayle Pritchard, Christine Mauersberger, Lois Carroll, Susanne Gregg, Jill Milenski, Susan Shie, at the opening of Flavors of Fiber in 2008.

One of the pieces I made for the show, I Hear Voices, was inspired by a song my husband wrote, Simon Says. It's a fairly large piece, given the work I have created in the past years, and attempts to tell the story in fabric. The installation image of the piece doesn't quite do it justice, because of my limited photography skills.

I Hear Voices in My Head by Gayle Pritchard, 2008.

All of this is to give a little background to the video I have posted to my blog. My husband, Chris, who has been a musician all of his life, also happens to be the most creative human being I know. Today, he made a video integrating the song, his photography and my art piece. I hope you will enjoy it.

Busy Is as Busy Does

2009-07-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

What have you been doing this week? I hope it involved some pleasurable activities, even if it involved working for money.

My week started last Friday. Since I watch my grandson two days a week, in the middle of the week, I try to think of those days as my weekends, a time when I relax, try not to think about the work piling up, and play with him. The most pleasurable activity in my week, then, was last Friday night, when I went to a concert: two acoustic guitars, microphones, amazing harmonies, lots of friends and family present. My husband and his partner played for two and half hours, and it was really fun.

Chris and David brought down the house. Photo by H. Kimmel

Other than a quick visit with a visiting brother-in-law, I worked like crazy, launching my new line of Magic Baby clothing. I am tired, and have not had much time to write, so I'll just post a few pictures for your feedback. I had planned to put these on my etsy store immediately, but they keep selling before I have a chance. That's a good thing, trust me!

Magic Baby poncho, fits up to 30 pounds

Magic Baby Watermelon Garden dress, 12 mo. size

These dresses are really cute, if I do say so myself. They are completely reversible, two dresses in one, and size adjustable (at the shoulders), so they can be worn for a long time. I love the shaped edge bottom.

Detail of shaped edge from the Magic Baby fruity flowered dress, 18 mo. size

This one also has a really fun princess-y back bodice embellishment.

The third item in the product line are my snuggly Magic Baby double flannel blankies. The are super-soft and lightweight while still being cozy, cute and practical.

So that's my week at work. I am currently enjoying my weekend.

Creativity One Moment at a Time

2009-07-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Detail of Joie de Vivre 1 by Gayle Pritchard

My daylilies are blooming. Seeing them reminds me of the ephemeral quality of summertime, of life itself. The first time I recall seeing these flowers was when we lived in West Virginia over thirty years ago. On the frequent drive back and forth to Ohio, I would see them, the old varieties I now know, blooming in gullies along the side of the road. I thought they were beautiful.

In my garden, while I have a few of the newer, “everblooming” varieties, I cherish the old-timey ones, in which each bloom only lasts one day. Hence the common name, daylily. You can admire and cherish them for the day they are blooming, but they are on their own pre-determined schedule. The next morning, the previous days’ bloom will be wilted on the stem. They are of immense, and fleeting, beauty.

Creative inspiration seems to keep the same schedule as the daylily. An idea comes, seemingly out of nowhere. It could be in the mist before sleep comes, or first thing in the morning, the sleeper barely awake. Ideas come on long walks, in the shower, driving the car; the more inconvenient for recording them, the better. The creative mind seems to work this way. If I fail to focus on the thought, the very fleeting mist of a vision, it disappears, and my mind can no longer grasp the fullness of what it had seen in that instant.

My journal / sketchbooks are full of such attempts to capture the wisps of an idea before they slip away. The dropping out of thin air quality of creative inspiration is, apparently, a common experience. I remember hearing the story Paul McCartney told of writing the song Yesterday. He says he woke up with the melody in his head, and spent a month asking his friends and colleagues if they had heard it before. When he was sure the song, which he called Scrambled Eggs, was his own, he began to write lyrics.

While I believe that there is no particular magic to being an artist, I must admit that, when the creative mind works overtime solving a creative problem, it can seem very magical when solutions are delivered unexpectedly. It truly feels like grabbing the air and pulling out a gem.

Over the past two decades I have learned to keep my mind open. Looking in my journals reminds me of this. Thinking, sketching and dreaming are all part of an artists work-out routine. This is what creativity is made of. Anyone can learn it, but no one can teach it. It's a path you have to discover for yourself.

Sketch for The Day Momma Died, with front of two-sided piece below.

Going to the Circus at the House of Blues

2009-07-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went to the House of Blues to hear the Cleveland band DOHM perform songs from their new album, The Circus. Their set didn't begin until 11:00 p.m., way past our bedtime, as my husband and I often joke, but we went early, and stayed for the whole show. And we weren't the oldest people present at this jazzy, melodic home-grown alt-metal band, or as Scene Magazine writer Keith Gribbins described them in his recent album review, "nü-metal."

I take a special interest in the performances and success of DOHM, not only because my son is the drummer, but also because I have watched these guys play music since they were practically pre-pubescent. I have watched them grow up, and marveled as they grew up to be really hot musicians. If you click on the DOHM link it will take you to their MySpace page, where you can hear a sampling of some of their music. I especially like Rags to Riches and The Exploited on their newest album...er, CD.

Cleveland Plain Dealer music review by John Benson

I have been surrounded by music for most of my life. My father was a musician, who made a record that I had never known about until after he died. During my childhood he kept a set of cocktail drums in our living room, which he would play with brushes whenever the mood struck. He also loved to sing, and my parents were both wonderful dancers. Like many little girls of my era, I learned to dance standing on top of daddy's shoes. I am sorry that he isn't around to see how his grandson and namesake grew to become a world class drummer.

Both my brother and his son are musicians, and my youngest sister's son, as well. My daughter and her husband both play. My oldest sister was, I think, first chair clarinet in our high school band. I even married a musician. In fact, on July 10th his acoustic duo Back Bay will be playing on an outdoor stage at the beach here on the Northcoast.

Living with music is, to me, like playing in the garden or going to see a play: the common threads of creativity, self expression and connection, to each other, the world, the earth, are what bind us. I cannot imagine a world without music. I cannot imagine a world without singing, dancing, art, flowers, drama or books. I guess I have managed to create the perfect world for myself, and, in the process, had a small part in passing it along.

What's in Your House?

2009-06-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

One of Gayle's TagTalk greeting cards, made from recycled clothing tags.

Being with a group of artists on Middle Bass Island means a lot of show and tell. It's a chance to share in the enthusiasm of artwork in progress, newly finished works, the bantering about of ideas. It's a lot of fun!

Our hostess, Mary, is working on a bar stool benefit auction to be held on Middle Bass July 25 at her shop, My Aunt Irma's. She had several of the artist-embellished stools in the shop, and another one at her house. Old friend and transplanted weaver Kathie Roig regaled us with the story of the beer bottle cap covered one she brought up to the island from North Carolina. I laughed so hard I forgot to take pictures. She shared that she is about to start a large commissioned piece. Some of her smaller works are online in her etsy shop, KMRhandwoven.

Jan Gibson showed some felted pieces she has been working on, including one of a set of large dolls with handmade ceramic heads. Leslie Organ talked about her success selling Upcycled clothing at a local outdoor market once a month.

Lois Carroll, my energetic artist playmate, showed a funky knitted round handbag made with brightly colored Turkish designs. Because she is not computer savvy, I share my etsy store with her. Lois is known for her wonderful wearable clothing and accessories, many of which are available online under her Glad Rags moniker.

One of Lois' stylish tote bagsKathleen Van Meter showed some of the pieces she had exhibited at this summer's Threads of Inspiration exhibit in Vermilion at the Maritime Museum. I love layers, and Kathleen's work uses them to perfection. Her work is rich and subtle at the same time, layered sometimes with created grids, often with screening material. Her pieces are gentle and beautiful.

June by Kathleen van Meter, installed at the Artist as Quiltmaker XIII, juried by David Walker and curated by Gayle Pritchard.

Oberlin, Ohio artist and owner of Ginko Studio & Gallery, Liz Burgess showed a piece from her recent silkworm collaborations. Over the years, Liz has tried different materials, but this year she mounted casts of her own hands in various positions, indigo dyed. The silkworms were released onto the sculptural forms, fed their requisitie mulberry leaves, and left to spin their silk cocoons. It's worth a trip to the gallery just to see the installations in action. Fascinating!

Photographer Linda Grashoff, one of Ginko's studio artists, is busy working on a manuscript. When she works in fiber, she utilizes her photographs on cloth to present in-depth scientific studies, such as in her river series. Her work has been featured several times in Fiberarts Magazine.

JoAnn Giordano is a well-established and highly regarded artist, who also teaches in the area universities. She brought pictures of her work for this year's Parade the Circle event at the Cleveland Museum of Art. You can see one of her art quilts online at the Olin Art Gallery link for Kenyon College. She and I, along with Susan Shie, Clare Murray and a small group of Ohio artists exhibited there in Innovation and Tradition: Contemporary Art Quilting in Ohio.

Ruta Marino doesn't look like she's obsessed with food, but her longtime series of wall pieces made with "food" fabrics would suggest otherwise! In addition to the Gauguin inspired finished piece, she showed two delightfully fruity Marilyn Monroe pieces inspired by Andy Warhol's graphic work. While clever and amusing, the pieces, to me, are also a smirky commentary on our contemporary culture, and deftly presented.

But, to the heart of the matter, and my original question: What's in your house? Is it full, top to bottom and side to side, inside and outside with artwork? Well, Mary's house was one huge show and tell, from the quirky and elegantly painted bathroom to the upstairs landing. I am showing you just a few examples. The vignettes in her house could fill a book!

A painted hat on the wall serves as a colorful painting.

En route to the fun bathroom was Mary's kitchen art pantry. Instead of spice bottles, cans of soup and the bags of rice and noodles I see in my pantry, Mary's is full of multicolored delights, some functional, some just fun to look at.

Upstairs, a graphic painting of large bathing suits sits on the wall, while a Clown / Circus shelf welcomes visitors.

So I ask you again, what is in your house? Be sure to fill it with your personality, and may your home always be filled with joy. And don't forget the art.

PS: Here is the aforementioned beer bottle cap barstool. Yes, each cap is unique! Thanks for sending this, Kathie.

Fiber Artists Converge on Middle Bass Island

2009-06-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Longtime friends, these Cleveland area fiber artists ride the ferry to Middle Bass Island on Lake Erie.

Yesterday was a picture perfect day in northern Ohio. It was a perfect day to ride the ferry to Middle Bass Island, one of several popular island destinations that dot Lake Erie. For this crew, the trip was an annual visit to My Aunt Irma's, an island treasure trove of a one-of-a-kind gifts, handmade crafts and clothing run by quilter, knitter and crafter extraordinaire, Mary Roesch.

Due to the size of the group, some of us received a police escort!

After the requisite coffee at Mary's house, we admired the view from the deck before heading to the shop. With two vans full, a few of us took Mary's hand-painted golf cart, and laughed the whole way there.

There are only a few things more uplifting than spending a day with friends. One of them is spending that time with friends who are also artists. The conversations are easy and fun, and often inspirational. This is especially true when fiber artists get together. There is always a lot of food, excited talk about exhibitions and new work, and breath-taking show and tell. (Please be sure to see my next post for pictures from show and tell.)

A group of friends; an inspiring and accomplished group of artists.

I feel so fortunate to live in an area where artists abound. I have many artist friends nearby, and I also belong to a local artist's group, the West end Textile tArts.

I also feel lucky that I live in a time where we are able to connect with each other in this way. I would like to hear from you what type of support, if any, you have in your area, or whether you rely on your online connections or something else. Let me know your experience.

Next post: Artist show and tell and another question for you.

If Only

2009-06-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

"I WAS sick -- sick unto death with that long agony; and when they at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me." Edgar Allan Poe

This is Poe's introduction to the Pit and the Pendulum, and it aptly describes how I felt this week: wobbly-headed and nauseous. Thankfully, I am feeling a bit more steady today.

If only each day proceeded according to the plans we have mapped out in our heads. I did, indeed, make it to Columbus to present a lecture for the delightful Columbus Metropolitan Quilters.

Gayle speaking in Columbus, Ohio

The group members were kind enough to hold their business meeting until after my presentation, giving me time to drive back to Cleveland the same evening. By the next day at lunchtime, however, I was decidedly ill.

I had great plans for this week, and none of my plans included being sick. Having traveled so much in the past month, I was ready to get back to work on the various unfinished pieces lying on my studio table.

Members of the guild look at artwork Gayle brought to the meeting.

I still haven't burned the first screen to practice printing with the YUDU I received for my birthday. My garden is overrun with weeds, and our butterfly bush died and needs to be replaced. The list goes on and on, the list in my head, that is.

As you may have noticed, the wheels in my mind do not easily stop turning. Sometimes I think I become susceptible to illness just so my body can make me slow down for a few days.

I am old enough now to have learned the lesson that I fought for most of my youth: lie down, relax, take a deep breath and be still. This is a time to make room for new ideas, a time to let my mind wander, a time to rest and refresh.